Serving Temperature
The temperature that a wine is served at can greatly affect the way it tastes and smells. Lower temperatures will emphasize acidity and tannins while muting the aromatics. Higher temperatures will minimize acidity and tannins while increasing the aromatics.
| Wine type | Examples | Temperature (Celsius) | Temperature (Fahrenheit) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light bodied sweet dessert wines | Trockenbeerenauslese, Sauternes | 6–10°C | 43–50°F |
| White sparkling wines | Champagne | 6–10°C | 43–50°F |
| Aromatic, light bodied white | Riesling, Sauvignon blanc | 8–12°C | 46–54°F |
| Red sparkling wines | Sparkling Shiraz, some frizzante Lambrusco | 10–12°C | 50–54°F |
| Medium bodied whites | Chablis, Semillon | 10–12°C | 50–54°F |
| Full bodied dessert wines | Oloroso Sherry, Madeira | 8–12°C | 46–54°F |
| Light bodied red wines | Beaujolais, Provence rosé | 10–12°C | 50–54°F |
| Full bodied white wines | Oaked Chardonnay, Rhone whites | 12–16°C | 54–61°F |
| Medium bodied red wines | Grand Cru Burgundy, Sangiovese | 14–17°C | 57–63°F |
| Full bodied red wines | Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo based wines | 15–18°C | 59–64°F |
Read more about this topic: Wine Critics
Famous quotes containing the words serving and/or temperature:
“Japanese food is very pretty and undoubtedly a suitable cuisine in Japan, which is largely populated by people of below average size. Hostesses hell-bent on serving such food to occidentals would be well advised to supplement it with something more substantial and to keep in mind that almost everybody likes french fries.”
—Fran Lebowitz (b. 1975)
“This pond never breaks up so soon as the others in this neighborhood, on account both of its greater depth and its having no stream passing through it to melt or wear away the ice.... It indicates better than any water hereabouts the absolute progress of the season, being least affected by transient changes of temperature. A severe cold of a few days’ duration in March may very much retard the opening of the former ponds, while the temperature of Walden increases almost uninterruptedly.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)