Chilled red wine leads summer drinks trend as Britons cool their pinot noir

If every summer has a trending drink, 2026 looks set to belong to chilled red wine. British drinkers have taken to serving reds cold, a habit long common on the continent but only now catching on at home. No longer is room temperature the default. The Times reports that younger consumers are leading the shift. Ocado data shows 56% of Gen Z drinkers had chilled red wine or wine over ice this summer, compared with 35% of the wider population.

Wine expert Tom Gilbey says Britons serve wine too warm. "We tend to serve wine way too warm in this country, and red wine particularly," he said. "It accentuates the alcohol and makes it taste like soup." He recommends serving most wines cooler than usual, with an optimum temperature around 10C. Twenty minutes in the fridge or 10 to 15 minutes in an ice bucket is enough, he said, adding that chilling brings out fruit flavours and brightens acidity in lighter reds such as Beaujolais, many pinot noirs and some southern Italian wines.

The discussion of ideal serving temperatures has spilled into everyday foods. Professor Charles Spence of the University of Oxford says fridge-cold chocolate delivers a better snap and balances flavours by dulling bitterness and sweetness.

Home food waste expert Kate Hall says butter can stay on the counter in a covered dish if the kitchen is not too warm, though the rest should go in the fridge or freezer. Bread, she warns, stales faster in the fridge and is better kept in a cupboard or frozen while fresh.

Eggs divide opinion. Gabriel Bray of Good Food Studio says British eggs under the Red Lion scheme do not need refrigeration because of how they are handled on farms, but the British Egg Industry Council advises keeping them below 20C. Hall adds that the fridge extends shelf life and that eggs should stay in their box rather than in fridge door compartments to avoid absorbing odours.

Olive oil loses flavour if chilled repeatedly, according to Yacine Amor of the Artisan Olive Oil Company. It should be stored in a cool, dark cupboard and used within three months of opening. Tomatoes keep best out of the fridge until ripe, then can be chilled to slow spoilage, says Bray. Bananas suffer only cosmetic damage to the peel if refrigerated, and citrus fruits retain nutrients longer in the fridge.

Ketchup and other condiments are shelf-stable after opening because of high sugar or vinegar content, though Hall recommends refrigerating them if they are not used quickly. Apples last longer chilled but flavour is a matter of preference. Avocados should ripen at room temperature before refrigeration. Honey stays liquid in a cupboard, while jams and marmalades keep longer in the fridge.

Nut butters can turn rancid if left warm, so natural varieties belong in the fridge, says nutritionist Dominique Ludwig. Coffee beans absorb odours and moisture in the fridge; an airtight container in a dark cupboard is better for daily use, though vacuum-sealed portions can go in the freezer for long-term storage. Milled seeds such as flax are prone to oxidation and should be refrigerated once opened.

Master chocolatier Paul A Young cautions against routine fridge storage for chocolate because it picks up odours and can develop sugar bloom from condensation. A brief 10-to-20-minute chill in its wrapper can restore snap in warm weather. Potatoes, once kept in cupboards, are now often refrigerated to slow sprouting, though a cool dark cupboard away from onions remains acceptable.