Wine Serving Temperatures
If the wine snobs of the world were to unite in offering a criticism to the masses it would probably be this: white wines are usually served too cold and red wines are usually served too warm.
Why is this?
Chilling wine accentuates its crispness and heightens your awareness of tannin and acidity in it. This serves to balance out the fruitiness and sweetness in white and rosé wines, but if these wines are too cold they can lose a lot of their flavour. Lighter, unoaked whites like Riesling and other Germanic varietals, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Blanc, and Sauvignon Blanc can be served at around four degrees Celsius which in most cases is straight-out-of-the-refrigerator temperature. Fuller bodied and oak treated whites like Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Viognier, and White Bordeaux should be served at a slightly warmer temperature to accentuate their fruitiness and tone down their tannins. Ideally, these wines should be removed from the refrigerator about half an hour before serving to allow them to warm up a little bit.
Red wines are generally served at room temperature, yet I have been told that room temperature doesn’t mean room temperature at all it means cellar temperature. The perfect serving temperature showcases the full spectrum of a red wine’s flavours and tones down the perception of tannin and acidity in them. Lighter bodied reds with soft tannins such as Beaujolais will actually benefit from being slightly cooler than this when served and it is recommended that you pop them into the fridge for thirty minutes or so before you drink them. Full bodied Bordeaux blends, Merlot, Cabernet, Zinfandel, and Shiraz should be served at around eighteen degrees Celsius which is just below room temperature. Be careful on warm days not to serve red wine at too high a temperature; overly warm wine tastes overripe and flabby without sufficient acidity and tannin to balance the fruit.
But I say to you, you who love cold red wine or warm white wine, I say this to you: the most important thing is that the wine tastes good to you. So take any advice from the wine snobs with a grain of salt and proceed with your enjoyment as you see fit.
Tannin – the astringent quality in most red wines which is extracted from the grape skins, stems, and seeds as well as oak barrels if they are used. Compare it to the mouth-drying sensation you experience when you chew on a grape seed.
Acidity – the natural citric acid present in most fruits. Citric acid in wine is a good thing and is perceived as tartness; if a wine tastes vinegary it means that it has developed acetic acid which is a bad thing, and should be poured out.
