If you have ever wondered what the correct temperature is to serve different styles of wine, then you should know you are not alone. In fact, this question is one of the most common questions I get asked as a sommelier.
Here are some quick hints to help clear confusion and have you serving wine with confidence every time you open a bottle.
- All wines are best when served between the temperature ranges of 4-18˚C.
- Remember that wine originally was stored in castles and not centrally heated homes, so a touch cooler is usually better than warmer when deciding on what is the best serving temperature for a wine.
- Wines served below 4˚C lose their ability to release their aromas, so they will be “muted” in their aromatics and flavours and not as expressive as they should be.
- Sparkling wines are served between 4-8˚C as the cooler temperatures help to lessen the volatility of the bubbles (meaning the bottle is less likely to spray all over when opening). The cooler temperature also helps to keep the bubbles moving slower so they will last longer. Serve fuller styles of sparkling wines on the warmer side of this range.
- White wines and roses are best served between 4-10˚C. With wines that have had oak contact or are creamier in texture, such as a buttery Chardonnay, serve warmer.
- Red wines are best served between 8-18˚C. Wines with heavier tannins (the mouth drying sensation) should be served on the warmer side of the range.
We serve white wines cooler to increase the perception of acidity (the mouth watering sensation) and to increase their refreshing quality. Think of warm pop vs. cold pop and which is more refreshing to drink.
Red wines are served warmer to allow their red fruit flavour to express themselves and to lower the sensation of the tannins. Just think of enjoying a strawberry fresh from the sun vs. out of the fridge and which one has more flavour.
Test Lab at Home
For a fun experiment you can do at home, pour two glasses from the same bottle and place one in the fridge for an hour and leave the other at room temperature on the counter; then try the same wine at two different temperatures and to determine how you enjoy the wine best. After doing this experiment I hope you will be surprised at how one wine can be so different just by changing the temperature and you will enjoy “playing” with your wine more often!
Renowned as Western Canada's favourite sommelier and fast-becoming a national name, Erin Rosar is the creator of 'Wine in the Kitchen' and founder of WG Wines based in Calgary, where she goes by the alter ego of Wine Girl (WG). She’s also an instructor with the International Sommelier Guild and is a recognized sommelier with the Court of Masters Sommeliers out of London, England.