Why You’re Drinking Your Wine Wrong
Mmmm, delicious, right; wine. But did you know that you often drink it at the wrong temperature? Red too warm, white too cold.
Room temperature
For decades, the idea has prevailed that you drink red wine at room temperature. Over those decades, the temperature in our rooms has risen considerably. Whereas living rooms used to be (before thermostats) no warmer than 18°C, the average room temperature now reaches 21°C.
The result? Your wine tastes heavy and dense. Such a shame.
Chilling times
Fortunately, the solution is simple: just put it in the refrigerator for a while. How long depends on the type of wine you have, but as a rule of thumb, use these chilling times:
– Chilling for 15 to 30 minutes brings the wine to around 17 to 18°C
– 1 hour of chilling brings it to 14 to 16°C
– 2 hours of chilling brings it to 10 to 12°C
– 3 hours of chilling brings it to 8 to 10°C
Ideal serving temperature for red wine
17 °C – full-bodied, with lots of tannins (e.g. cabernet sauvignon, grenache, sangiovese)
14 °C – medium to light, with lots of fruit (e.g. pinot noir)
12 °C – light, low in tannins (e.g. gamay)
Tip: it’s better to serve your wine a little too cold than too warm; in the glass, it will soon gain another 4°C.
Too cold
We often keep white wine in the refrigerator, which is ideally 4°C: far too cold for any wine.
The result? It numbs the aromas, making your wine thin and flat, while the acidity dominates the taste. That doesn’t seem like the intention. Here too, the solution is simple: either store it outside the refrigerator and put it in the fridge in good time, or keep it in the refrigerator but take it out in good time.
Ideal serving temperature for white wine
12-13 °C – rich and complex (e.g. oak-aged chardonnay, viognier)
10-11 °C – light & fresh (e.g. sauvignon blanc, verdejo, albariño)
7-10 °C – sweet (a low temperature creates a fresher experience)
And other types of wine?
Sparkling
06-08 °C – simple, approachable (e.g. prosecco)
10-12 °C – complex (e.g. blanc de blancs champagne)
Rosé
10-13 °C – full-bodied, dry
06-08 °C – sweeter (a low temperature creates a fresher experience)
Aperitif
14-15 °C – port-style wines
10-12 °C – sherry-style wines
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