Serving Wine at the Correct Temperature
Ever wondered why red wine is to be served at room temperature or white wine to be served chilled? Ever been to a restaurant and not enjoyed the red wine because it was served a little too warm? (Well the room temperature we are talking about is the one in France and not India). Loved a wine you drank at the restaurant but it didn’t taste the same at home? All this may be because you aren’t drinking the wine at the right temperature. Serving wines at their ideal temperature allows the release of their aromas and flavours so that you can enjoy them at their finest. If a wine is served colder than it should, it will mask the aromas and flavours; so you won’t enjoy the good stuff. If served too warm, it tastes sweet and alcoholic (red wines) or tart (white wines). In order to determine the correct temperature, we need to understand the style of wine and its body. Sparkling wines or Champagnes are served the coldest, followed by white, rose and lastly red wines. Light bodied wines are served colder than heavy bodied ones. Sounds like rocket science to you? Worry not! We will sort you out! The following chart simplifies it, so that you can never go wrong from now! Wine Style & Body Sparkling wines / Champagnes Non Vintage Vintage White Wines Light & Crisp Aromatic or Medium bodied Complex, full bodied, oaked Rose Wines Light to medium bodied Heavy bodied
Temperature 6-8°C 8-11°C 6-9°C 9-12°C 10-14°C 7-10°C 10-13°C
Red Wines
Sweet Wines Eiswein or Ice Wine
Light & Fruity Medium bodied Heavy bodied Light & off dry (Riesling, Chenin Blanc) Full bodied (Sauternes, TBA or equivalent) Medium to Full bodied
12-14°C 14-16°C 16-18°C 8-10°C 10-12°C 6-8°C
Useful Tip You have guests over and you’ve forgotten to chill the wine?! Oh No! We say RELAX! To chill a wine quickly, stick it in to a wine bucket filled with ice and water. This way the wine will chill within 30 minutes whereas chilling it in the fridge will take up to 2 hours. So dunk the first bottle you are opening in to a wine bucket and keep the rest, to be drunk later, in the fridge. As you pour the last of the first wine bottle, bring the second one out and stick it into the wine bucket. Make sure to top it off with more ice and water. Just make sure you are not serving wine either too warm or too cold!