What Is The Correct Temperature At Which To Serve Wine?
As a wine merchant, I am often asked by customers and friends about the correct temperature at which wine should be served.
There seems to be a common misconception that white wine should be served chilled to within an inch of their life, and that reds should be heated up as much as possible.
A slight exaggeration, perhaps, but often scarily close to what people do.
The real answer is that white wines will be best served between 8°C and 10°C - a fair bit warmer than your average fridge, which is generally 4°C.
This means that if you have kept your wine in the fridge, you would do well to take it out half an hour to an hour before you wish to serve it.
Or just put it in the fridge for an hour prior to service, as this will chill it sufficiently but not too much.
Red wines will show best at around 17°C - 18°C.
People often wish to serve them at "room temperature", but overlook the fact that this phrase was coined in Victorian times when rooms were not as well insulated or as well heated as they are nowadays.
Unless you store your red wines in a cellar or other temperature controlled area, it is very, very unlikely you will need to warm them prior to serving.
You may well, however, want to chill them slightly so you taste the best the wine has to offer.
This opens a world of misguided snobbery - many people look down on those who choose to chill their red wine, when in fact the latter is probably aiming to serve the wine at a more suitable temperature.
While these are the "ideal" temperatures for serving wine, we have to bear personal taste in mind.
If you love your white wines super chilled, or at room temperature, or if you only really enjoy your reds chilled (especially in hot weather, when a chilled red can be very refreshing) then stick with what you like.
The ideal temperatures should be adhered to by restaurants and at tastings, but in the comfort of your own home how you enjoy your wine is entirely up to you!
There seems to be a common misconception that white wine should be served chilled to within an inch of their life, and that reds should be heated up as much as possible.
A slight exaggeration, perhaps, but often scarily close to what people do.
The real answer is that white wines will be best served between 8°C and 10°C - a fair bit warmer than your average fridge, which is generally 4°C.
This means that if you have kept your wine in the fridge, you would do well to take it out half an hour to an hour before you wish to serve it.
Or just put it in the fridge for an hour prior to service, as this will chill it sufficiently but not too much.
Red wines will show best at around 17°C - 18°C.
People often wish to serve them at "room temperature", but overlook the fact that this phrase was coined in Victorian times when rooms were not as well insulated or as well heated as they are nowadays.
Unless you store your red wines in a cellar or other temperature controlled area, it is very, very unlikely you will need to warm them prior to serving.
You may well, however, want to chill them slightly so you taste the best the wine has to offer.
This opens a world of misguided snobbery - many people look down on those who choose to chill their red wine, when in fact the latter is probably aiming to serve the wine at a more suitable temperature.
While these are the "ideal" temperatures for serving wine, we have to bear personal taste in mind.
If you love your white wines super chilled, or at room temperature, or if you only really enjoy your reds chilled (especially in hot weather, when a chilled red can be very refreshing) then stick with what you like.
The ideal temperatures should be adhered to by restaurants and at tastings, but in the comfort of your own home how you enjoy your wine is entirely up to you!
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