Article: Wine serving temperature: how cold white, rosé and red should be
Wine serving temperature: how cold white, rosé and red should be
Temperature changes how a wine tastes more than anything else you do with it at home. Too cold and the wine has no nose, too warm and it feels heavy, with the alcohol pushing forward. The difference comes down to a few degrees and a few minutes.
Serving temperatures by style
| Wine style | Serving temperature |
|---|---|
| Sparkling and semi-sparkling | 6 to 8 °C |
| Light whites and rosé | 6 to 8 °C |
| Fuller whites and fuller rosé | 10 to 12 °C |
| Lighter reds | 14 to 16 °C |
| Full bodied reds | 16 to 18 °C |
The ranges overlap a little and the exact degree does not matter. Hitting the right band is enough.
Why temperature matters
A wine's aroma is released by warmth. At low temperatures the aromatic compounds evaporate slowly, so an overchilled wine gives you very little. Cold also sharpens the acidity and, in reds, the tannins, which is why an icy white feels hard and an icy red feels bitter.
Warmth works the other way. It releases aroma and softens tannin, but it also pushes the alcohol forward. Above 20 °C a wine loses its freshness and feels heavy. Sparkling and semi-sparkling wine also loses its bubbles quickly in the heat, which is why it is served coldest of all.
The room temperature myth
The advice to serve red wine at room temperature dates from a time when rooms were 16 to 18 °C. Modern flats reach over 23 °C in summer, and at that temperature a red tastes alcoholic. A full bodied red benefits from 15 to 20 minutes in the fridge, a lighter one from a good half hour.
How to chill wine
The most reliable way is the fridge, but it needs time. White and rosé take two to three hours to chill through.
The fastest way is a bucket of ice and cold water. Ice alone only touches the glass in places, water wraps the whole bottle, and a spoonful of salt speeds the chilling up further. A white wine is ready in 15 to 20 minutes.
The freezer is an emergency option. It works, but the bottle is easy to forget and the wine can freeze. Lay it on its side and set a timer for 20 minutes.
A rule worth remembering: take whites out of the fridge 20 minutes before serving, and put reds in for 20 minutes.
Our wines and their temperatures
Serve our semi-sparkling wines properly chilled at 6 to 8 °C. Whites and rosés just need to come out of the fridge shortly before opening. Reds are at their best at 16 to 18 °C, and the lighter ones take a short chill well in summer.
Frequently asked questions
What is the fastest way to chill wine?
In a bucket of ice, cold water and a spoonful of salt a bottle is chilled in 15 to 20 minutes. The water must surround the whole bottle, ice alone cools more slowly.
Can red wine go in the fridge?
Yes. A full bodied red benefits from 15 to 20 minutes, a lighter one from half an hour. An overchilled red just needs a few minutes in the glass and warmth opens it up.
Can I put an ice cube in my wine?
You can, but melting ice dilutes the wine. Frozen grapes or cubes frozen from the same wine work better, they do not change the taste.
Why does overchilled wine taste of nothing?
Cold slows the release of aromatics and sharpens the acidity. Wine below 5 °C has almost no nose and tastes hard. A few minutes in a warm glass brings it back.
Written by Villa Vino Rača
