At the latest since the rise of natural wines, one thing is clear: hardly a stone is being left unturned in wine cellars at the moment. Old wisdoms have, in some cases, lost their meaning – and are opening up new possibilities for ultimate enjoyment – even with wines vinified in the familiar way. The best example: chilled, origin-typical Neusiedlersee DAC Zweigelt and other similarly cool red wines. They are right on trend this year!

With the support of the federal government, the province and the European Union.

White wine belongs in a slim glass. And it should be cool. Red wine, on the other hand, needs a bulbous vessel and, please – room temperature! Put simply, that is how you could sum up the most basic rules of wine drinking in just a few words. Only: this view is anything but up to date. For a long time now, there has not only been an individual glass for almost every grape variety. Each grape variety is also drunk at different moments and at different temperature levels. “Rigid drinking rules basically no longer exist. There are recommendations and reasons why something makes sense in a certain way, but nothing has been a ‘must’ for a long time,” the sommeliers of modern gastronomy are almost unanimously agreed.

Not least thanks to the rise of natural wines, they have taken on the role of “icebreaker”. After all, simply because of how they are made – keyword: skin fermentation – they often have hardly anything in common with their classically made siblings. Their completely different style has meant that, for example, an orange wine ends up in a red wine glass even though it is actually a white wine, just to name one example. But it is precisely this fact that has made sommeliers as well as winegrowers and, above all, consumers more willing to experiment. The surprising result: whole new worlds are opening up!

Cool Zweigelt is on everyone’s lips

In recent years, in particular, this has broken with the dogma that red wine must always be served at room temperature. Until now, the result has been that many people preferred cool whites in summer and only reached for cosy, warm reds in winter. But: what actually speaks against drinking a Neusiedlersee DAC Zweigelt chilled? “Nothing at all,” says Stefan Neumann, a true expert. The Master Sommelier has been active on the international stage for many years and sees what goes down well where and how. And he says that the region-typical Neusiedlersee DAC Zweigelt, among others, has a special future ahead of it precisely because of such new possibilities.

Because, says Neumann, this exceptional grape variety is not only particularly approachable, it can also be made in a dense style or come into the glass fresh and light. And it is precisely this Zweigelt variation that, in his opinion, tempts it to make its way to the table properly cool. “Chilled, it’s tremendous fun on the palate in summer,” he says. His colleague Steve Breitzke from MAST in Vienna goes even further in an article on “Kalk und Kegel”. He says: “On particularly hot days, we sometimes even serve red wines in an ice bucket and then put them outside. A common practice in southern countries. In summer, we chill the reds (especially the lightly pressed variants) in the wine fridge at 12 to 13 degrees – i.e. deliberately over-chilled. In the glass, the wine then quickly picks up pace and goes to 14 to 15, which is a very good drinking temperature, especially in summer.”

Ice cubes in red wine? Why not!

Even ice cubes in a summer glass full of red wine are no longer a problem. “The great thing is: people are allowed to drink wine the way they like it best,” says Neumann. “There is no longer any right or wrong.” The possibilities that result, in turn, make new trends possible. Like that of chilled Zweigelt drinking fun in summer.

And all without taking away the joy of the power of an intense, dense red. Just think of a wonderful barbecue evening. Juicy steaks on the grill, medium. A floury, hearty baked potato in the embers, lightly charred. A juicy tomato salad with peppers on the side. Then it almost has to be a somewhat more powerful Neusiedlersee DAC Reserve Zweigelt in the wine glass – lightly chilled here too is clearly the sommeliers’ recommendation. After all, “nothing is a must” also means “anything goes” – so what has been good so far remains good. Thankfully!

PS: A little fun fact for the right finish: the phrase that you should “drink red wine at room temperature” comes from a time when people did not heat their rooms to 23 degrees, but rather to around 17–18 degrees. So it seems likely that the whole thing about warm wine in a big balloon glass is more of a small misunderstanding. At least with wines that are not super-dense. But best of all: everyone tries for themselves what they enjoy most. And anyone who serves a Zweigelt cool in summer knows: given the outside temperature, it will soon be at least – room temperature anyway.

Everything you need to know about Neusiedlersee DAC specialities

Juicy and deeply fruity or rather fruit-sweet? Which Neusiedlersee DAC is your favourite? Click through the different grape varieties.

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Neusiedlersee DAC.
Unique Zweigelt. Unique sweet wines.
From Austria’s sunny side. For everyone’s enjoyment.

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