You may know that white wines are typically served cold, while red wines are best served at room temperature. But what does that really mean? And does it really matter?
Yes, the temperature of a wine absolutely impacts its flavor, but the right temp isn’t as precise as some may lead you to believe; it’s more of a range.
Here are the ideal serving temperatures for wine:
- White wines should be served at a temperature ranging from 50 to 55 degrees.
- Red wines should typically be served at a temperature ranging from 60 to 65 degrees.
Yes, there are some delicious reds meant to be served chilled… and yes, I’ll even say that in the blazing heat of of August in Texas, I even enjoyed a Tempranillo chilled just like a white… and it was delicious.
But those guidelines will serve you will in most cases.
So how can you do this at home without a wine refrigerator?
When you bring the wine home from the store, place your whites in the refrigerator and reds in a spot where they won’t experience much temperature fluctuation or bright light. Twenty minutes before you intend to serve the wine, take your bottle of white out of the refrigerator to warm it a touch and/or place your red in the refrigerator to chill it a touch. Twenty minutes later, your wine is bound to be at an ideal temperature for enjoying!
What about when you are at a restaurant?
At a restaurant, sometimes the wine might not be served at the ideal temperature. Since you are paying for it, you want to be sure you enjoy it at its best, right?
If you’ve ordered a bottle of wine, when the waiter presents it to you for confirmation, gently touch the bottle to check the temperature. If it is a white wine, it should be cool to the touch. If it is not, don’t be shy about asking the waiter to pop it in the refrigerator for you or ask that the bottle spends a bit more time on ice.
If you’ve ordered a glass and it feels too cold, just wrap your hands around the glass to warm it up a bit and then enjoy.
