Getting the Temperature Right When Serving Wine

There are many nuances when it comes toSauvignon Blancs, are a bit different that full
consuming wine. Most of the conversation centersbodied whites. These wines are much better off
around the actual taste and aroma of the wine,when served even cooler. The ideal temperature
but there is a more practical area that shouldis found more in the high 30s to middle 40 degree
receive more attention than it does.temperature range.
One of the key to bringing out the best in aMany people believe a red wine should always be
bottle of wine is to serve it at the correctserved at room temperature. This is only true if
temperature. With the exception of water,the room is a bit chilly. To really bring out the
practically every liquid tastes great at certaintaste of the vintage, a red should be served
temperatures and less so at others. Warmslightly cool. The ideal temperature is just about
champagne is about as nasty as it gets and wine65 degrees. To reach this temperature, throw the
is just as influenced by temperature.bottle of red into the refrigerator about 20
The first thing to understand about wine is it canminutes before you plan on drinking it.
be either too cold or too warm. When it comesIt is important to not go overboard with the
to white wine, people have a tendency to serve ittemperatures. White wines can be consumed at
to cold. The opposite is true for reds. Most peoplevery cold temperatures, but that doesn't mean
serve the wine to warm, which leads to anthey should be. If you go too cold, the wine most
excessively alcohol flavoring.of the nuances of the flavor will be lost to the
Full bodied, rich white wines are best served cool.sharp coolness. With reds, the opposite can occur.
The typical classification of this wine is theA red that is too warm can become flat and
extremely popular Chardonnay. Wines in thisbland with a harsh hint of excessive alcohol.
category are served best at between 53 and 58Pay close attention to the temperature of the
degrees. This is essentially the temperature foundwine you are serving. Get it wrong and an
in a wine cellar, which is why these wines areotherwise tremendous bottle of wine can end up
often referred to as "classic" whites.being a disappointment.
Sweeter white wines, such as dessert wines and