What's The Best Temperature To Serve Wine At?

What temperature to serve wine at is completely subjective. There was once a thought among wine folk that red wine should be tempered in a brick type container that itself had first been chilled. And while this is a nice touch, it certainly is not necessary.

Red wine, such as cabernet and zinfandel, do not need to be chilled. In fact, chilling them seems to ruin the flavor. A good red that has been stored properly should be opened about a 30 minutes before it is to be served. You can either leave it opened in the bottle or decant it in a larger serving container. I personally like decanting a good wine because the wider rim of the decanter allows more of the wine to circulate and be exposed to the air.

White wines, such as a reisling, benefit from chilling. The trick, though is not to overchill. You don't want your wine frozen. As long as your refridgerator is set to a moderate chill (by this, I mean billows of smoke are not escaping every time the door is opened), I would suggest perhaps 40 minutes at best to get a nice chill to the wine. Chardonnays do not seem to enjoy such a long period of time. With a decent chard, 20 minutes is all it really takes to get a nice, cool temperature on the wine.

All wines will warm once opened. If you want your whites to remain chilled, consider the technique I mentioned before for consistent chilling. Red adobe type containers are sold at all wine supply stores and require that you simply fill them up with ice water then allow them to sit until the container has changed color, indicating it has absorbed the cold. You drain the water, then store your wine bottle inside the vessel. It keeps the wine cool and comfortable throughout your party.

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That depends on the wine itself - you've probably heard that red wine is best served at room temperature, but that expression started in the days before central heating.

Room temperature, in this case, would be a few degrees cooler that your thermostat's set at. If you're keeping your red wine in a cool place to start with, it's best to bring it - opened - to your table sixty to ninety minutes before you plan to pour it out.

The obvious exception to that rule is if your room is extremely warm, in which case letting your wine breathe in cooler surroundings is a much better idea.

Now, what about white wines? They taste best after an hour in the fridge - any more and they start tasting a little harsh. On the bright side, though, if you serve your wines a little too chilled (and that includes light reds), they will, at least, warm up after a while.

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