The three wines that should always be in your fridge

JULIA Child always kept a half bottle of Champagne in the refrigerator so she had something to sip on (and keep herself enthused) while cooking. Me too - but I've expanded her advice. I always have three bottles of wine on my fridge door shelves. So should you. Picture it: The moment you arrive home on a hot summer night, you've got something refreshing to open even if you didn't have time to swing by your local retailer. When friends drop by, you have a bottle to pour without hauling out ice and a bucket or putting it in the freezer and waiting 30 minutes for the wine to cool.

Immediate gratification is the way we live now, which is why most wine shops have a grab-and-go selection in a cooler. And if merely savouring a glass while you chop vegetables fresh from the farmers market is what you need, no problem. The rationale for having a stash of already chilled bottles isn't all that different from having the basic essentials to make a meal (tomato sauce, pasta, etc) on hand.

The important question is what those wines should be. We're talking about white, rosé and sparkling wines, of course. Yes, I'm a fan of serving Beaujolais and other light reds slightly cool, but some people, such as actress Diane Keaton, claim to love them super-chilled. Sad! (Refrigerator-cold reds taste metallic.)