General Guidelines for Service of Wines in Respect to Temperatures

• Red Wines

Red wines generally show best at slightly higher temperatures but not as high as you may think! Generally, room temperature (around 70° F, but this can vary somewhat depending on the climate and air conditioning or heating) is generally too warm for most wines! So even red wines can benefit from a bit of chilling. Generally, full-bodied red wines like Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon, Rhone wines and others show best at just under room temperature in the 60 to 65° F range. In general, the more powerful, full-bodied wines are better at the upper end of the range while slightly lighter wines (Pinot Noir, red Burgundy, Chianti, etc.) are better at the lower end of the range. Very light-bodied, fruity wines (Beaujolais, lighter Pinot Noirs, etc.) can even benefit for more of a chill down to the mid-50°'s F. These are very general guidelines of course as each wine is different and any one type of wine can vary quite considerably. For example, there are versions of Pinot Noir that are quite full-bodied and others that are very light and might benefit from lower temperatures.

To achieve these temperatures you have a few options. If you have a wine cellar at 55° F, removing the wine from the cellar and letting sit for a few minutes before serving will allow it to move up into the upper 50's to low 60's. The wine will continue to warm up towards room temperature after pouring in the glass. Another option is to chill the room temperature bottle in the refrigerator or an ice bath for only a few minutes. If you leave it too long it will be too cold to serve, but a few minutes helps to bring down the temperature a few degrees below room temperature.

• White Wines

In general, white wines show better at slightly lower temperatures. Again, this varies by type and weight of wine. Full bodied white wines like some Chardonnay, white Burgundies can show well at higher temperatures in the low 60°'s F or down to as low as around 48° F. Lighter, fruitier grapes like dry or off-dry Rieslings and Sauvingnon Blanc show better at the lower end of this range down to the mid-40°'s F. These temperatures can be achieved quickly with a bit longer time in the refrigerator or in an ice bucket. Again, once opened and poured, the wine will continue to warm up in the glass. The bottle can be kept cool by keeping it in an ice bucket periodically to keep it at ideal wine temperature.

• Sparkling Wines

Typically, sparkling wines are served at quite low temperatures, around 45° F. This helps to keep the flavors focused and prevents overly aggressive bubbling from the carbonation. These can be kept in the refrigerator or in a Champagne bucket. Because the pours and glasses tend to be smaller, they will warm up to the proper range quite quickly from that starting point.

• Dessert (Sweet) Wines

Dessert wines with some sweetness are hard to generalize because of the wide range in styles. Heavy, sweet red wines like Vintage Port tend to do well closer to room temperature around 66° F. Lighter ports like Tawny or Non-Vintage ports can show well a bit cooler, in the upper-50's. White sweet wines like Sauternes and sweet Rieslings show well cooler still in the low-50° range. Simple, sweet sparklers like Moscato d'Asti and some Champagne Demi-Secs do well at quite cool wine temperature in the low-40° range.

So in conclusion remember that room temperature is almost always too warm to serve any type of wine (unless your air conditioner is set quite low!). Likewise, refrigerator temperature is quite low for most wines. If your wine has been chilling in the refrigerator for some time, open it early so it has a chance to come up a few degrees before serving.Chill even red wines down a bit and you'll notice them come into more focus and balance, heightening your wine tasting experience.