Thinking about the best red wines for summer might seem somewhat counter-intuitive as the weather warms up, with glistening bottles of white and rosé tempting us from the fridge. A red served at the right temperature (maybe even a chilled red) is, however, perfectly suited to dining in the sunshine, especially if your feast comes from the coals of a barbecue or the blistering heat of a pizza oven.
With the days at their longest, the grass taking on a chequered pattern from picnic blankets and the leaves starting to wilt as they shade us from the blazing sun, our thoughts should turn to the humble lifesaver hiding at the back of the kitchen cupboard: the wine cooler. The cardinal rule of summer entertaining should be attention to temperature; any wine, whatever its colour, will fall apart if it is served too warm. This is widely understood when it comes to white or rosé but all too often a red is left to stew in the afternoon sunshine, the sum becoming less than its parts as the fruit bakes, the alcohol drifts to the fore and the tannins mount a hostile takeover.
At the right temperature, there are relatively few red wines that I wouldn’t serve on a summer’s day
To make the most of our summer reds, complex, structured wines, such as Bordeaux or Napa Cabernet, need to be served at cellar temperature, close to 12°C, while fresher, fruitier examples, like Beaujolais, will be a revelation after half an hour in the fridge. Once on the table, they should usually be kept in a wine cooler, rather than an ice bucket, to retain freshness without freezing the fruit.
At the right temperature, there are relatively few red wines that I wouldn’t serve on a summer’s day, most especially if meat, pasta or pizza are on the menu. Here are some suggestions, from fruity and fresh to fulsome and full-bodied, some to serve at cellar temperature, others to chill.
Read on for 10 of the best red wines for summer in 2025.
Ten of the best reds for summer
M. Chapoutier, Rouge Clair, 2024
From the highly regarded Chapoutier family, a youthful Rhône red that’s halfway to rosé, offering red fruits and crunchy freshness. A blend of Grenache and Syrah (both staples of rosé wine), this has a short spell in stainless steel, rather than oak, to retain its vigour. There’s raspberry, sour cherry and Alpine strawberry, with juicy cranberry acidity and a crisp, faintly mineral finish. Keep this in the fridge, as it’s one to treat like a rosé, and serve with griddled prawns.
Domaine de Mont Joly, Marzy Beaujolais-Villages, 2023
Vineyard owner Jean-Baptiste Bachevillier represents the eighth generation of his family farming the vines at Mont Joly but he chose to study oenology at Plumpton, in Sussex, and has made wines all over the world, including California and Australia. Using sustainable techniques to tend his vines, he keeps yields low, resulting in a Gamay of notable brightness and purity, with crunchy red fruit and a gently pink granite minerality. Twenty minutes in the fridge – no longer – will enhance the freshness, making it the perfect match for a simple tomato pasta sauce.
£19.50, Wickhams Wine Merchants
Costadune Mandrarossa, Frappato, 2024
Frappato is the definition of a summer red. Hailing from Menfi, on Sicily’s long westerly coast, this enchanting wine offers Alpine strawberry, raspberry and a perfumed lift from rose petals, a wine so fragrant you might be tempted to wear it. Delicate and fresh with smooth tannins and juicy red fruit, this is great value and should be glugged lightly chilled with vegetable antipasti.
£12.50, The Wine Society
Masi, Fresco di Masi Rosso, 2024
A vibrant, organic, scarlet-hued red from Verona, produced from Corvina and Merlot grapes, using natural, indigenous yeasts, that’s fragrant and bursting with berries, cherries and pomegranate. Naturally relatively low in alcohol, at 12%, it comes in a lightweight bottle with solid sustainability credentials. A gluggable summer fruit bomb, definitely one to chill, it’s perfect for a margarita pizza.
£15, Woodhouse Wines
Nagyapám Szekszárdi Kadarka, Eszterbauer, 2023
Kadarka, also known as Gamza in Bulgaria, is often described as Hungary’s answer to Pinot Noir but I think it’s delightfully different, offering more floral character. From the steep slopes of Szekszárd, in the south of the country, the raspberry-charged nose offers lifted rose petal notes and wafts of white pepper, while the palate is lithe with a crunchy red fruit freshness and powdery tannins. One to chill, pair with pasta and ragu.
£10.50, The Wine Society
Chateau Musar, Musar Jeune Red, 2021
Chateau Musar is an iconic producer in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, famous for its idiosyncratic, age-worthy wines, but Musar Jeune is a vibrant, unoaked range destined for early drinking. A richly coloured blend of Cinsault, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon, bursting with freshness and youthful energy, there’s juicy berries, red liquorice, and dried rosemary. A short chill will only add to the playfulness. Pair this with top quality hummus and manoush (Lebanese flatbread) for an authentic Middle Eastern experience.
Famille Bougrier, Cheverny Rouge La Cour du Roy, 2023
The Loire appellation of Cheverny is most famous for its white wines, made from Sauvignon Blanc, but it also offers some exciting reds, from a magical combination of Pinot Noir and Gamay. Offering an enticing nose of redcurrant and raspberry, there’s lovely freshness, with a proper cool climate crunch to the fruit, which will only be enhanced by a short spell in the fridge. Try pairing this with a top-quality goat’s cheese and roasted beetroot salad.
£11, The Wine Society
Résonance, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2020
When Burgundian stalwart Louis Jadot opened an outpost in Oregon, it was seen as a great vote of confidence in the Willamette Valley’s potential for Pinot Noir. From one of the oldest vineyards in the region, planted in 1981, the nose offers foraged blackberries, cherries, mushrooms and forest floor notes leading into a smooth, pure and seductive wine with soft tannins and a salty savoury streak (think American crispy bacon). Serve at cellar temperature, accompanied by the finest sausages money can buy, griddled over hot coals.
£38 Hay Wines
Château Léoube, Secret de Léoube Rouge 2021
Provence is justly celebrated for its rosés but it also produces some beautiful red wines, such as this blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, aged in oak for around 18 months. The brooding nose offers morello cherry, bramble and lifted aromas of ‘maquis’ (Provençal sundried scrub), while the palate is smooth, with supple tannins and a smattering of tobacco leaf and sweet spice. A waft of Mediterranean warmth, serve this with herb-marinated grilled chicken.
£36, Daylesford Organic
Zuccardi, Poligonos, 2022
An altitude blockbuster of a Malbec from Gualtallary, in the foothills of the Andes, produced by third-generation winemaker Sebastián Zuccardi at his futuristic winery. The perfumed nose offers punchy, dark fruit, lifted by a floral mountain freshness. Unfiltered, aged in a mix of neutral oak and concrete vats, the palate offers a deliciously pure, measured intensity. Serve at 12 degrees with barbecued sirloin steak.
£26, Tesco
