Serving Temperature

The conventional wisdom that white wines should be served chilled...And reds at room temperature is essentially correct. But, that is not the whole story.

Is the Temperature Important?

The serving temperature for wine varies depending on the style of wine and one´s personal preference. Serving wine too cold masks its aroma and flavor. Serving it too warm can make wine seem dull, flat, and harshly weighted with alcohol. Therefore, no doubt the temperature is a big deal.

From Storage to Serving

A wine´s storage temperature will dictate how a wine should be handled before serving. If the storage isn´t cool enough, some wine will require chilling, others many need to be removed from the cellar early so they can gradually warm to room temperature.

Wine Style Serving Temperature

As you will notice below, the ideal temperature at which to serve a wine depends on its style.

Temperature	Wine Styles
60°F to 65°F	Full-bodied reds, such as Bordeaux, California Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, Rhone Valley, Australian Shiraz, Burgundy, Oregon Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Italian Brunello and Barolo and Port. This is the warmest you should ever serve any wine. The truly great Burgundy whites, like Montrachet, drink more like reds than like whites and will exhibit their flavors best at these temperatures.
50°F to 60°F	Light, fruity reds, like Italian Dolcetto and young Chianti, Valpolicella, young Rioja from Spain, and Loire Valley reds like Chinon and Bourgueil.
50°F to 60°F	Likewise, the 50°F to 60°F range is ideal for substantial white wines, such as most white Burgundy, California and Australia Chardonnay and German Spatlese and Auslese, as well as high quality dessert wines like Sauternes and late-harvest Rieslings.
45°F to 50°F	Fruity whites, such as French whites from the Loire, Alsace and Bordeaux, lighter Australian whites, Oregon Pinot Gris and all Sauvignon Blancs. This is also the proper range for fine vintage champagne and ice wine.
Below 45°F	Only the simplest wines should be ice cold at below 45°F. Basic Spanish and Portuguese whites (like Vinho Verde), the lesser-quality sweet wines, rosés and non-vintage sparkling wines.

Contributor: Jim Stein (Syracuse, NY)

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