Does wine temperature matter? For many wine drinkers, they don’t think twice about it. However, it turns out it actually has a significant impact on a wine’s taste and texture. Following some general guidelines can help you better improve your wine drinking experience…
Wine Temperature: What’s Best?
Sparkling wines
Sparkling wines and dessert wines aren’t as common as other wine options. Usually, people like to reserve them for special occasions. As a result, people don’t really know what temperature they should serve them at. In fact, the wine temperature which works best for these choices is ice cold!
The best way to get these wines cold is by sticking them in the freezer for an hour before drinking them. Just make sure to not forget about it! The cold will help keep the wine’s bubbles fine rather than overly-foamy. Once you open the bottle, place it in a bucket of ice until its been finished.
White and rosé
If there’s a middle ground for wine temperature, then white wines and rosé fit in this spot. They don’t work best when ice cold, yet also don’t really stand out if served at room temperature. Instead, you want to serve these wines cold, as they should be somewhere around the 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit range.
One easy way to do this is by simply putting these wines in the fridge once you get home. However, if you want to drink it the day you buy it, then you can cheat a bit by placing them in the freezer for 30 minutes. Once opened, you can place them back into the fridge. Still, some drinkers like to leave them out, as the flavors begin to change as it warms up.
Red wines
Red wines are at the opposite end of the wine temperature spectrum. At least, that’s what people think. It’s common to be told that you’re supposed to drink red wines are room temperature. While this is completely fine, red wines do actually get a boost from being slightly cooled.
Unlike whites and rosés, red wines should only be in the fridge for an hour before serving (or 15 minutes in the freezer). That way, it gets just cold enough to be within the sweet spot of 60-70 degrees Fahrenheit. However, once opened, you definitely want to leave them out on the table.
