Have you ever heard about wine and drinking temperatures? Everyone seems to have an opinion on the hot topic. Yes, wine is a delicate drink and shows itself better when served at the right temperature, so what’s the right temperature for drinking wine?
Let’s dig deep into the art of storing and serving wine, but before we get started, we’d love to invite you to visit the Yarra Valley wine country with one of our unique private winery tour experiences to the Yarra Valley. Tours from Melbourne are ideal for couples, family and friends our tours are also perfect cruise day tours for wine lovers visiting Melbourne.
What happens to wine at different temperatures?
Let’s start by saying there are two temperature-related concepts for wine: storing temperatures and serving temperatures, and they might or might not be aligned.
Right storage temperatures allow you to store wine for extended periods. As a rule, the colder the wine, the slower it will age and evolve, so it will have a longer life. If stored too cold, the wine will stop evolving, but it won’t go bad unless it’s frozen solid, good tip.
Stored at hot temperatures above 16°C, the wine will age pretty fast and will have a shorter life. Storing wine above 20°C for extended periods can cause significant damage to the wine.
How About Wine Serving Temperatures?
Refreshing white wine, including unoaked Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling, along with Rosé, Prosecco-style sparkling wine and a cold lager, for that matter, should be enjoyed at a temperature around 4°C, that’s your fridge temperature, easy to remember right?
Full-bodied white wine like oak-aged Chardonnay and Champagne-style sparklers are best enjoyed a little warmer, between 4°C and 10°C. The warmer the wine, the better you can appreciate more sophisticated and nuanced bouquets.
Precisely at 10°C, you can serve the most delicate red wines, those with higher acidity and smoother palates, just like Pinot Noir. From there, raise the temperature for bolder wine styles and serve the sturdiest. Like Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon at 16°C.
- 4°C – Young, unoaked white wine, Rosé, Prosecco-style sparkling wine.
- 4°C – 10° Oak-aged white wine and Champagne-style sparkling wine.
- 10°C Light-bodied red wine.
- 10°C – 16°C Full-bodied red wine.
Serve Your Wine at the Right Temperature and Enjoy It at its Fullest.
Serving wine at the right temperature is more than etiquette; you can really enjoy your favourite wine much more at the right temperature. Too cold, and your wine will taste flat, too warm, and it will feel overly alcoholic. Use an ice bucket and get yourself a thermometer; it’s well worth it!
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