Which wine should be chilled

We've received your email address, and soon you will start getting exclusive offers and news from Wine Enthusiast. Dessert wines like Sauternes fall into the same range. Prosecco , or similarly light-bodied fruity sparklers work better at the bottom end. Advance Planning. This rule applies to most everything in life. Stick reds and whites in the fridge and remove them an hour or two before dinner. The Freezer. Loaded bottles into the icemaker as friends grew ambitious with their consumption, only to forget them and find an icy explosion the next morning.

While quality may not diminish at such extreme temperatures, the risk of a mess rises. When the water in wine freezes, it expands and can push the cork out in part or full, or even crack the bottle. This allows the egress of oxygen, which starts the clock on oxidation. When entertaining or serving guests, it can be easy to overlook this variable as an essential component. We have also provided a wine temperature chart for your ease of reference, below!

Of course! While some serving variables will make more subtle differences wine glass shape comes to mind , the wine temperature is actually crucial. Serving wine at the recommended temperature brings out its intended flavor profile, character, and bouquet by ensuring that the wine displays a balance of aroma, flavor, structure and alcohol.

The idea of an ideal wine temperature is by no means an exact science. There is no optimal temperature for red wine, for example. Both red and white wine require their own mode of storage and presentation. Too cold of a temperature will block flavor and aroma. So, should wine be chilled? See how your taste and smell senses react! If you are too … chances are your reds are too warm. If white wine is served too cold, flavors and aromas will be muted. Too warm and they become flat and flabby. Someone bring an ice bucket to chill this bottle down!

Try this: Open a bottle of your favorite Chardonnay. Then, put the bottle in and cool both the bottle and the glass for another 30 min or so. You will likely notice the differences — especially in the aromas — right away.

Cooler temperatures bring out the acidity and tannic qualities of a wine. Evans also recommends putting a wine in the fridge for half-an-hour, which will particularly tone down the sensation of soupy warmth in a relatively high alcohol red.

The short answer is yes, sometimes. Have you ever been served a red wine too warm? It can easily happen, especially in hotter climates. Like other chillable reds, this Italian fizz works best for me at around C, the temperature where its balance of tangy cherry-ish acidity, dark plum and blackberry exuberance hit a refreshing, antipasti-matching sweet spot.

When should a wine be chilled? Topics Wine The Observer Food features. Reuse this content.