Summer is going on and that means that also the wine consumption increases. Unfortunately, it often happens that the wine we get served is at the wrong drinking temperature. And that means we do not REALLY enjoy it. In this article I try to give you some (useful) information and tips to familiarize yourself with the right wine temperatures.
When in doubt, you can always use the following rules of thumb:
• White wine between 8 and 12ºC (46-53ºF)
• Rosé wine between 8 and 12ºC (46-53ºF)
• Red wine between 15 and 18ºC (59-64ºF)
White wines
Regarding to white wines the drinking temperature depends on the type of wine. In general, we can say that the more aromatic and complex (riper) the wine, the less cool it should be served. Around 12ºC/46 ºF is the right temperature. Simple dry, and young fresh wines, should be drunk a bit cooler; between 8ºC /46ºF and 10ºC/50ºF. This also applies to really sweet white wines.
If we serve a white wine straight from the refrigerator it is too cold. The smell and taste are as it were “frozen”. So that way we actually miss a very important part of the taste sensation and we do the wine (farmer) short. You’d better do not store the wine in the refrigerator for too long, but put it in there max an hour before use. Another disadvantage of long-term (longer than 24 hours) storage of wine in the refrigerator is that it will kind of “decompose”, causing the different taste segments to disintegrate and therefore the wine will taste different from what was originally intended.
Rosé wines
In principle, the same applies to rosé wines as applies to white wines; the more complex the wine, the less cool it should be served. Again, we assume an ideal serving temperature of between 8 and 12ºC/46 and 53 ºF. An exception to this, however, is the light sweet, fruity rosés. To enjoy this type of wine optimally, it is best to serve it at a temperature of 5 to 8ºC/41 to 46 ºF.
Red wines
A much-heard advice is to serve red wine at room temperature. This advice comes from the days when central heating did not exist and the average room temperature was around 16°C/61 ºF. Today this temperature is around 21°C/72 ºF and that is definitely way too hot for a red wine. NEVER serve red wine at a temperature higher than 18ºC/64 ºF. The wine does not feel well and you could say that it has a “fever”. Compare it to a person; If you have an increase of 1 or 2 degrees, you do not feel well…. It is therefore better to serve the red wine a little too cool than a little too warm. A young, fresh red wine can be a few degrees cooler (between 13 and 15ºC/55 and 59 ºF).
Sparkling wines
For all wines such as e.g. champagne, sparkling wine, cava, sekt and prosecco applies:
Serve between 6 and 8ºC/42 and 46 ºF.
(cool) Tips
The cooling of white and rosé wine can be done in different ways as long as you take care not to do this too brutally. Wine cannot withstand too large sudden temperature changes, so the freezer compartment is out of the question! It is better to fill an ice bucket with some ice cubes and water, usually the wine will be (and remain) at the right temperature within 5 to 10 minutes. You can cool the red wine that is too hot with a so-called flexible “cuff jacket” that you keep in the freezer compartment and ensures that, once wrapped around the bottle, the ideal temperature is reached within 5 to 10 minutes.
For enthusiasts, a wine temperature meter is available in every good wine shop.
Roel Peters-RP-Vinos USA
Comments