Wine for Beginners: Getting the Correct Temperature

Red wine should be served at room temperature right? And white wine über chilled?

No. The answer is no. See me after class.

It's a common misconception that red wine should be served at room temperature. This was probably true at some point in history but our homes are hotter now than they ever have been. Especially in lighter reds, being served too warm can hide the acidity and generally throw everything out of balance. This means that you are spending your hard-earned cash/dole money on something and then fucking it up. No one wants that.

The same goes for whites too. Serving white wine too cold can just hide all the flavour. If you have bought something ridiculously cheap, then by all means freeze the hell out of it because it's probably better that it doesn't taste of anything at all rather than anti-freeze. With anything else though, chilling it too much might be refreshing on a hot day but you really won't be getting your money's worth out of the bottle.

Here is a handy guide to what should be served at which temperature in order for it to taste as damn good as it possibly can.

17 - 18oC
Full bodied reds such as Bordeaux, Shiraz, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon

14 - 16oC
Medium Bodied reds; your Merlots, Chiantis, Zinfandels and Riojas for example

12 - 13oC
Light and fruity reds like Pinot Noir, Beaujolais etc.

11oC
Fuller bodied whites - if you like creamy, oaked whites 11oC is the one for you

9 - 10oC
The Majority of other whites should be served at this temperature; chilled but not ice cold.

6 - 8oC
Sparkling wine and Dessert wine is the coldest, so cold it will use you and never call you again. THAT is how cold sparkling wines and Dessert wines should be.


Although there are bound to be one or two that vary, that is a pretty sturdy guide. My top tip would be to take your white wine out of the fridge a little bit sooner than normal and put your reds in the fridge a little bit before you are going to drink them.

Don't believe me? Here is a man with a gorgeous accent (therefore he probably seriously knows his stuff) who will confirm it all in one handy little video.




Give this a go next time you are planning on opening a bottle. It will make a hell of a difference I promise.