Red Wine Serving Temperature is Cooler Than You Think

Imagine your favorite red wine. 

Smell the complex, layered bouquet as it swishes around in the glass. Feel the robust tannins as they first make contact with your palate. Taste the vibrant flavors of black cherry and red fruit. 

Pretty tasty, right?

Now, imagine that someone cranks up the heat, and the wine suddenly jolts up 20° F. 

You might find yourself spitting out what you thought was your favorite glass. What happened? Temperature change happened.

Proper serving temperature is one of the most important factors determining your enjoyment of a top vino. Too cold, and your favorite varietal will taste icy and uninspired. Too warm, and you might find it soupy.

But what if you get the serving temperature just right? You’ll unlock potential you never knew existed.

Read on to learn about the proper red wine serving temperature and why you might want to invest in a personal sommelier system for your sipping enjoyment.

Why Does Wine Serving Temperature Matter?

Serving temperature is one of the most important factors in your enjoyment of your favorite vino. The proper chill brings out the winemaker’s intended character and aroma by balancing out the structure and alcohol within.

Take steak, for example. The rich fatty flavor in the meat comes out with the right amount of heat. Serve it a bit too cold, and you’ll likely want to send it back to the kitchen.

The same principle applies to red wine temperature.

Too warm, and the wine will taste overly of alcohol. Too cold, and those subtle flavors won’t be able to break through.

These principles don’t only apply to wine serving. Use them in all facets of your culinary life!

Invest in a travel mug to keep your coffee toasty for longer. Pop your ice cream in the microwave for ten seconds to open up its subtle notes of cinnamon and vanilla bean. 

With red wine, we’re generally advised to serve it at room temperature. Does that principle still hold up today with modern wine science? 

What Does “Room Temperature” Really Mean?

If you’re still serving your red wine at room temperature, you’re not making the most of every sip.

Why? For one thing, our ideal “room temperature” doesn’t mean what it used to. Let’s break it down.

Today, we have well-insulated modern homes and central heating. These give us much greater control of our indoor temperature, and we often like our environments to be anywhere between 68-74° F. 

This means that our “room temperature” definition is a solid 10- 15° F warmer than our forefathers. 

So, serving red wine without a quick chill made a lot of sense a century ago. Today, it’s routine sabotage of a savory sipping experience.

Should Red Wine Be Chilled?

Unless you’re already in a frigid room, red wine should almost always be chilled.

In general, you’ll want to aim for temperatures from 55-65°F. Of course, no two red wines are created equal. 

Some have a full body with robust tannins, which like it a bit warmer. Meanwhile, the lighter and fruitier reds generally taste best slightly chillier than your typical glass of rojo. 

This also applies to well-aged reds, as their tannins have broken down in such a way to give the wine a silkier body when compared to a similar vintage.

Here’s a breakdown of the ideal temperature for whatever wine you have on hand:

• Light-Bodied Red (Pinot Noir, Beujolais): 54-56°F. 
• Medium-Bodied Red (Cabernet Franc, Tempranillo) : 56-60°F
• Full-Bodied Red (Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah): 61-65°F

If you’re out at a restaurant and the waiter brings you a bottle of warm red, don’t be afraid to ask for an ice bucket. It’s your evening. You have a right to enjoy it.

By the way, if you were wondering about the proper wine storage temperature, that is around ancient room temperatures or 55-65°F. 

Stemmed vs. Stemless Wine Glasses

One element to keep in mind while seeking the perfect serving temperature is your glass.

While stemless glasses might beat out stemmed wine glasses on pure appearances, you’re likely better off using a stemmed glass.

The stemmed design minimizes hand contact with the bowl, keeping your wine at the perfect temperature for longer.

If you’re using a stemless wine glass, pay close attention to how the temperature of the wine is changing as the minutes tick away.

How To Chill Your Red Wine

To find the perfect serving temperature for your red wine, you could opt for simply placing your vino in the refrigerator for twenty to thirty minutes before serving.

Of course, you could also pop some ice cubes in your glass, but this will water down the wine. Instead, place some grapes in your freezer and achieve the optimal chill without diluting your favored varietal.

If you’re willing to make a bigger investment, you could look at a wine fridge. Although, this still doesn’t quite wrestle with the fact that different varietals like wildly different serving temperatures.

So, what’s the best solution? It’s called the Wine Connoisseur.

This personal sommelier system is tailor-made for effortless temperature calibration and wine aeration. It chills each glass down to its optimal temperature no matter the vintage or varietal.

Take a look at our elegant 150mL wine sachets to decrease waste and your personal stress on wine night. 

Chill Your Reds To Perfection With the Wine Connoisseur

Serving temperature isn’t simply a rule of thumb. It’s a tried-and-true predictor of how much you’ll enjoy each sip.

For your next glass of red, forget about room temperature. Pop your glass in the refrigerator for ten or twenty minutes before sipping. Or grab a bag of frozen grapes and chill that way. 

If you’re really serious about your sipping, you might even bring a thermometer into the picture.

All that said, you won’t find the perfect serving temperature simply going by the numbers. No, you’ll have to listen to your gut and get in touch with your taste buds.

Grab yourself a glass of your favorite vino. Now, take a sip of your wine at its chilliest. Take another a few minutes later as the wine loses a bit of its cool.

Note how the flavors and mouthfeel change as the liquid heats up. Now you’re thinking like a wine scientist.

Maybe you prefer your vino a bit cooler or warmer than others. That’s OK! Remember to log that information and slowly refine your tastes as you get to know each varietal in greater depth.

Fortunately, the Wine Connoisseur makes finding the perfect temperature as simple as pressing a button.

Browse our product page and glance through our different types of wine, such as our For Goodness Sake, Drink Some Wine collection.

While you’re waiting for your order to arrive, read through our blog to discover the perfect pair for your next glass of Pinot Noir and the impact of tannins in your favorite red varietal.