3 Tips to Achieve the Perfect Serving Temperature

Over the centuries of its history, the process of drinking wine has evolved into something almost like a ritual. Perhaps this is due to the amount of time humanity has had to perfect the drink, or maybe it’s thanks to the importance of wine in many cultures, but regardless of the why, wine is undeniably one of the most influential drinks our world has to offer.

That’s not to mention, many aspects of the “ritual” of wine drinking are in place to enhance the flavor and texture of the wine, so we can enjoy wine as fully as possible. For instance, many red wines must aerate or decant before you drink them, and perhaps most importantly, almost every wine has a different temperature for ideal consumption. Plenty of people love an “ice-cold beer” and perfectly heated tea, but wine takes drink temperatures to a whole different level. 

In fact, you could assign a specific temperature range to every individual wine bottle, if you felt so inclined. It’s doubtful that you would need to be that specific, but it goes to show how important temperature is to wine. 

As such, there are a few crucial things you should keep in mind when you’re storing and serving your wine. You don’t necessarily need to know what the ideal red wine serving temperature is, but there are a couple of steps you can take to ensure that you’re getting the most out of your vino. We gathered our three best recommendations for you and your wine, so the next time you’re hosting a dinner party, or having a romantic dinner with fancy wine, you’ll be well prepared!  

Be Picky

At some time in our lives, we’ve all probably heard a lecture about being “too picky” or having “high standards,” and in many other aspects of life, those can be fair criticisms. In the world of wine, however, being picky is one of the best mindsets you can bring to the table. Especially when it comes to temperature. 

If a wine is too hot, all you’re going to taste is the alcohol, which means you’ll lose all of the nuance and flavor that makes wine so great! Too cold, and you might have an acid-heavy wine, which dampens the aroma and flavors in its own way. Being picky about the ideal temperature for red wine, and the perfect level of chill for whites and rosés, is one of the best ways to guarantee a tasty drinking experience, so pay attention!  

Do Your Research

As we said before, you don’t need to be a sommelier to serve wine correctly, but you should still do some basic research on the wines you purchase (and some general wine knowledge never hurt either). To help you get started, we’ve provided some general tips about wine and temperature. Just remember that these apply to broad categories of wine, and taking a moment to look up the wine you are serving will give you a better idea of the correct temperature. 

• Full-Bodied Red Wines - In full-bodied reds, you want to bring out the tannins, and try to reduce some of the inherent bitterness. As a result, aim for around 60 to 65º F when serving these varietals. In general, red wine temperature is slightly below room temperature, while remaining somewhat warmer than a typical wine cellar. 

• Full-Bodied White Wines and Light Red Wines - This category of wine serves as the middle ground for temperature. It shouldn’t be as chilled as a light, crisp white wine, nor should it be close in temperature to a full-bodied red. To balance the scales, aim for around 50 to 60º F to bring out the most complex and decadent flavors of these varietals. 

• Light White Wines and Rosé/Sparkling Wine - Finally, we’ve reached the most chill of the chill, the light wines. White wine temperatures are at the coldest end of the temperature spectrum because you want these varietals to be as crisp as possible. For the best results in this category, aim for 40 to 50º F, as this will keep them as fresh as possible.  

Again, these categories are the perfect starting point for your wine serving expertise, but any time you serve a new wine, you should do your research to find the best possible temp! 

Prepare For Any Scenario

Even the best-prepared people can make mistakes sometimes, so whenever you can, be thorough and try to account for anything. Perhaps a bottle warmed up too quickly after you pulled it from the wine cellar, or maybe you accidentally chilled your white wine for 30 minutes too long. Instead of assuming that your wine will be ready for you when you go to serve it, be consistent and on the lookout for any possible slip-ups.

In case of wine emergencies, here are a few ways to get your vino back under control. 

• Too Warm? - Rather than sticking your wine into an ice bucket, or throwing some ice cubes in your wine glass, put your wine in a mixture of cold water and ice. This will help chill the wine faster than ice, as this allows for a larger surface area of the bottle exposed to the cold. 

• Too Cold? -  If you find yourself with a chilly bottle of wine that isn’t supposed to be chilled, don’t fret! You can decant this wine through a container that has been washed with warm water, or if you only need a couple of degrees of warmth, the heat of your hands around your wine glass should be sufficient to achieve the ideal temperature.

Become a Connoisseur

This might seem like a lot of effort to go through just for a glass of wine, but trust us when we say the wine temperature is crucial! That being said, if you don’t want to go through the trouble of learning about all the various nuances of wine, you can let us do all the work for you!

The Wine Connoisseur is the newest way to consume your favorite wine, chilled to the perfect temperature every single time! Our single-serving wine dispenser adjust the temperature of your wine, aerates wines that require it, and dispenses the perfect glass every time. So the next time someone asks “Should red wine be chilled?” or “What’s the ideal temperature for Pinot Noir,” you can simply point them to the Wine Connoisseur and let it work its magic!