Serving temperature for red wines: rules, tips and tricks

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

The taste of real wine and its aroma has delicate subtle notes that quickly evaporate. Their changeable nature is controlled precisely by temperature, the main thing is not to miss the moment when, during evaporation, the components of the drink evaporate and reveal their bouquet. The serving temperature of red and white wines is different, so you can increase the pleasure or spoil it.

Why know the degree of warmth of wine?

Human taste buds are designed in such a way that very cold drinks seem tasteless. This is because some of the receptors on the tongue lose their sensitivity and very warm ones feel firmer and extremely acidic.

This is why red wines are served at different temperatures than sparkling or white wines. This approach will allow you to fully enjoy the taste of the drink. Each type of wine has its own temperature.

Measure what?

There is nothing difficult in the procedure. To measure temperature,It is enough to purchase an ordinary liquid thermometer. A thermometer that mothers use to measure the water temperature before bathing a child will do.

The thermometer works the same way. It is dipped into a vessel with wine and after a while it is fixed at what mark the upwardly moving red strip has stopped.

Infrared thermometers that do not require immersion have now been made. The device is simply brought to a bottle of liquid - and after a few seconds the results will appear on the electronic scoreboard.

But it's better to use immersed thermometers as they are more accurate. After all, even a slight error in the temperature of serving red wine can spoil the impression of the drink. Many manufacturers, for the convenience of customers, embed thermometers directly into the corkscrew.

About wine serving temperature

The charm of the drink lies in getting a subtle artistic pleasure. From the choice of wine variety, bottle and temperature, the pleasure of a grape masterpiece will either increase or deteriorate.

Periodically tasting different wines, you can feel that you like one drink more warm, the other - chilled. It all depends on him and the temperature at which the wine aroma evaporates, then the taste changes.

It is considered a big mistake to place a bottle of wine in the refrigerator before serving. Chilled drinks do not reveal all the subtleties of their bouquet, and the taste will be astringent. Too warm wine will seem incomprehensible and lethargic, and in someeven nasty cases.

Cool or heat?

For wine, room temperature (20-25 degrees) is considered high. But you can save the situation by putting the bottle in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

If there is any doubt about what temperature the wine should be when serving the drink on the table, it is better to serve it cold, it heats up perfectly in a glass, and it will be difficult to cool an overheated one.

Only sparkling wines are served chilled. They are safely put in the refrigerator.

The better and more expensive the wine, the less it should be exposed to cold, but do not forget that cold increases the acidity of the drink, and heat increases the strength. Only the right temperature will help the aroma to fully develop.

To enjoy the taste, you should consider the serving temperature of red wine, it is different for each color and variety.

Wines with fruity and light flavors

The color of such drinks is not saturated, the density is not thick. They are young and fresh, with a low content of tannins, so they are easy to drink. These wines include:

• Tarrango from Australia - a fresh drink full of berry aromas: cherries, strawberries, raspberries, currants.
• Barbera from Italy - characterized by cherry tones, has a bright red color, it almost does not feel astringency. If the Barbera is overheated, then the drink can be disappointed, it becomes boring.
• French Beaujolais is a wine made from the Gamay grape, served chilled when young and heated to 17 degrees when mature.
• Valpolicella and others.

Serving temperature for red wines of this type is 10-13 degrees.

Thick and dark wines

Such drinks are distinguished by a complex luxurious bouquet. At the first sip, you can feel the taste of chocolate, blackcurrant and a little menthol, woody notes are barely noticeable. These wines are rich in tannin and have a rich color:

• Bordeaux Merlot is feminine and delicate.
• Negroamaro.
• Cabernet Franc - the softness of the wine is amazing, despite the tannins.
• Tannat from Uruguay - has a rich and tart, even slightly intrusive taste.
• Cabernet Sauvignon is an aromatic wine with a tart aftertaste. Leaves an aftertaste of currant and juniper. The longer it ages, the better the quality will be.
• Barolo.

When serving, the temperature of red wine must be at least 15 degrees, but not more than 18.

Moderate and mild

Wines with such a pleasant and unobtrusive taste are made from thick-skinned grapes. Drinks in this category require mandatory aging and are distinguished by vanilla, spicy notes, as well as a light trail of plum, strawberry and raspberry:

• Rioja - Spanish wine with the aroma of cherries.
• Chianti is an Italian drink brought from Tuscany and made from Sangiovese grapes.
• Merlot and Pinot Noir from the New World - Chilean dark red wines have their own zest, they give off exotic tones, and the almost purple color is mesmerizing.
• Pinot Noir is made in California andAustralia, the drink feels high acidity and a minimum of tannins.

What should be the serving temperature of these types of red wine? In self-respecting establishments, they make sure that the temperature does not rise to more than 17 degrees, but the drink should not be too cold either, at least 14 degrees is the best indicators.

Spicy and peppery wines

Produced from spicy varieties and must be aged in oak barrels. Thanks to this, the bouquet turns out to be quite rich and complex, such wines are not for everyone:

• Pinotage - the drink is delivered from South Africa, is considered a national treasure, has a pleasant and complex taste.
• Malbec - brought from Argentina, with an exquisite taste and concentrated aroma of cherries, lavender, plum and spices are also felt here. It will taste perfect at 16-18 degrees.
• The wines brought from Portugal are very diverse and have a slightly peppery flavor.
• Bernard Chateauneuf-du-Pape and other drinks from the Grenache vine variety fascinate with a pleasant aftertaste of coffee, prunes and spices. It is customary to open a bottle with the contents an hour before pouring into glasses, and then only use it. Red wine serving temperature should be 18 degrees.
• Shiraz and Syrah from the New World - wines from the berries of the grapes of the same name have a dark purple color, the wine is dense with slightly intrusive notes of black chocolate and pepper, in order to avoid enhancing such an aftertaste, the drink is slightly cooled to 13-14degrees.
• Primitive, Zinfandel. Here, the serving temperature of red wine varies slightly from 15 to 18 degrees. The heady aroma envelops and intoxicates a little.

Correct temperatures for some other wines

Unfortunately, it is impossible to describe the temperature for each type of wine. There are many drinks made from the vine in different countries. But general information should be given attention.

The best serving temperature for dry red wine Pinot Gris, Alsatian Riesling, Lambrusco (Italy), Shanon Blanc (South America), Chardonnay should be no more than 10 degrees.

Light red wines: Chinon, Beaujolais Cru, Port Toni will be best perceived at 12-13 degrees.

Full red wines: Bandol, Barolo, Ribera del Duero, Zinfandel - the best temperature for them is 15-17 degrees.

To appreciate the color of the gastronomic and aromatic sensations from a semi-sweet wine drink, it is advisable to follow the recommendations and principles of use.

The optimum temperature for serving red semi-sweet wine should not exceed 18 degrees, but not fall below 16. A super-cooled drink will keep the real aroma and taste of wine secret. Warmer assemblages will upset with a sharp erratic smell.

Some brands of semi-sweet wines enjoy a good reputation and popularity:

• Wine Madera Cruz. Burgundy color gives a slight amber highlight. Slightly sour drink gives gentle notesdried raisins.
• Kindzmarauli Tamada. Fruit and berry aroma has a ruby hue. You can feel the taste of berries, fruits and black pepper.
• Alazani Valley Semi-Svit Red. The gastronomic balance and aroma emerges from fruits, spices and has a dark cherry color.
• Chateau Mukhrani Khvanchkara Aok. Light red wine with a subtle raspberry tint. The aroma of strawberries and raspberries is felt, the velvety of tannins and sweet berries is remembered.

Besides the temperature, there are other important moments of drinking a noble drink.

Some red wine serving tips

Serving temperature is important, but many knowledgeable people make minor changes:

• Take into account the weather conditions and the time of drinking the drink. If it is drunk as an aperitif, it should be chilled. If the wine is consumed with warm dishes and snacks, the mark rises by another degree.
• In hot weather at the beach or at home, increase the temperature of the wine by a couple of degrees. Otherwise, the drink will seem very cold.
• Sparkling wines and Rieslings are consumed only cold, but not below 7 degrees.



• Based on the gastronomic qualities and aroma of the wine, with a high price and a bright color of the drink, the serving temperature should be slightly increased. This will open the bouquet better.
• Do not keep a drink in the freezer. It is better to use a bucket of water and ice, and the ice should not touch the sides of the bottle.

It should be understood that when choosing a temperature regime, do notit will be possible to make the wine better, emphasize its sophistication and aroma, but it is quite possible to reveal the wine potential with the help of temperature. The main thing is that the wine is good, not chemically produced. Otherwise, at any temperature, it will be the usual chemical "talk".