Get Your Red Wine On Ice

No, I have not lost the plot and yes, I do appreciate that most of us – Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and South America excluded – are about to suffer our way through a good few months of cold weather so now may not be the best time to tell you about a new wine to Hong Kong that is going to be a big hit next summer.

There is a new red wine on the Hong Kong market called Fichimori and it’s designed to be drunk cold. When I say cold I mean, drunk as if it was a white wine. That is, on a hot summers day, straight out of the fridge or ice bucket.

Fichimori is part of the Antinori business of winemaking and, after a long summer of promoting in Italy the wines have finally arrived on Hong Kong’s shores. It is made in the Tormaresca Winery located in the Masseria Maime in one of the most picturesque and beautiful areas of Salento.

The wine is a blend of predominantly Negroamaro with a touch of Syrah. In order to make a red wine to be served "chilled", the tannins must be much softer than in a “normal” red wine. For this reason, the winery has selected the best Negroamaro grapes. After being crushed, a pre-fermentative maceration lasts for 6 days at 5°C, and, together with a skinless fermentation, it enables to extract the varietal aromas, the intense colour and the softer poliphenolic elements of the grapes.

Well, that’s what their website says anyway! We have tried the wine and can see the appeal to younger drinkers and to those that have not had much experience with drinking red wines. Its youthful approach is sure to generate a new generation of wine drinkers come next summer with its approachable nature, quirky ability to be served cold and it’s priced so that the wine should, in most cases, be available by the glass.

It will be great for end of term parties (for those of legal age of course!) on the beach next summer and is a great wine for sitting and chilling on the beach, on a boat or even sitting out in the sun on one of the many balconies or verandah’s in this cities homes or bars and restaurants.

It has very soft tannins and is very easy drinking and, although its style will not suit those with a more mature palate, those of you interested in learning more about wine – or those that just fancy red wine in the summer and can’t stand the heavy body some red wines have – this will be a great alternative wine to drink.

Look out for this wine as it starts to emerge in Hong Kong’s bars and restaurants and give it a try. It’s a refreshing break from the norm in terms of the way red wine is drunk and, if simple fruity wines are your thing then this may just be a drink to remember summer 2013 by!

Fichimori and other Antinori wines are available in Hong Kong from Links Concept Limited.