Chillable Red

I saw this Chillable Red in my local wine shop, Springs Wines & Liquor, and thought, “This can’t be good.” Naturally, I had to buy it and see for myself. Turns out, I was totally wrong. Not only is Chillable Red really good, it has an awesome story behind it.

Chillable Red comes to us courtesy of Swick Wines, founded by Joe Swick in Oregon in 2013. He makes funky, interesting wines as “naked and raw” as possible, to use his own words, giving them names like Vegas on Acid, City Nights, and Bring It.

Joe’s 2021 Chillable Red has a cranberry juice color and actually blends a white grape (Verdelho) in with all the reds (Mourvèdre, Malbec, and Pinot Noir). It has a funky nose that reminded me of dry dirt and flowers. It tastes like cherries and a bit of baking spices, with sandy tannins. It was really delicious with chorizo and bean tacos. It was also good with spicy tilapia. This wine is weird, but it really works.

If you’re looking for something unique to break out at this summer’s barbecues, this is a great option. If that BBQ is in Brooklyn, this will definitely be a hit (hee hee).

Swick is all about showing what the cold climate of the Pacific Northwest can do for wine, while being pretty hands off. They use only organically grown and biodynamic grapes to make wines that are fresh and lively and have no conventional additives, just a little SO2 when necessary.

I’m not a huge natural wine drinker, but you don’t have to be to enjoy Chillable Red or be a fan of what Swick is doing. Chillable Red is $24.95 on Mysa.

Chin!