Wine Serving Temperatures
The serving temperature of wine is very important! Cold wine tastes completely different from wine served at a warmer temperature.
Light white wines should be served at 6-10°C (43-50°F).
Fuller white wines can be served at 10-14°C (50-57°F).
Light and fresh red wines are best at 14-16°C (57-61°F).
Powerful red wines can be served at 16-18°C (61-64°F).
No wine should be served hotter than 18°C (64°F).
Red Wines
| 17-18°C |
Rich, Intense, and Oaky Reds (63-64°F) Amarone Barolo Bordeaux (High Quality) Brunello di Montalcino Cabernet Sauvignon Châteauneuf-du-Pape Côtes du Rhône (North) Malbec Montepulciano Nebbiolo Sangiovese Shiraz Syrah Tempranillo Zinfandel (Heavy) |
| 16-17°C |
Rich and Oaky Reds (61-63°F) Chianti Classico Riserva Rioja Reserva Barbaresco Merlot (Oaked) Pinotage Ribera del Duero |
| 15-16°C |
Rich Reds (59-61°F) Bordeaux (Medium Quality) Burgundy (High Quality) Barbera Côtes du Rhône (South) Rioja |
| 14-15°C |
Medium Reds (57-59°F) Bardolino Burgundy (Medium Quality) Cabernet Franc Chianti Classico Dolcetto Merlot Pinot Noir Zinfandel (Light) |
| 12-14°C |
Light Reds (54-57°F) Beaujolais Gamay Valpolicella |
| 10-12°C |
Light Juicy Reds (50-54°F) Beaujolais Nouveau |
| 8-10°C |
Sparkling Reds (46-50°F) Lambrusco |
White Wines
| 12-14°C |
Full Bodied Oaked Whites (54-57°F) Chardonnay (High Quality) White Burgundy (High Quality) |
| 10-12°C |
Full Bodied Whites (50-54°F) Chablis (High Quality) Rioja Blanco (Oaked) Sémillon Soave Superiore Viognier |
| 8-10°C |
Dry Whites (46-50°F) Albariño Alvarinho Arneis Bordeaux (Sauvignon Based) Bordeaux (Semmilon Based) Chablis (Medium Quality) Chablis (Petit) Chardonnay (Unoaked) Chenin Blanc (Dry) Gewurztraminer (Dry) Malvasia (Dry) Muscadet Pinot Blanc Pinot Grigio Pouilly-Fumé Riesling Kabinett (Dry) Riesling Spätlese (Dry) Rioja Blanco (Unoaked) Sancerre Sauvignon Blanc Sémillon Weisburgunder Vinho Verde White Rhône (South) Vernaccia Vouvray |
| 6-8°C |
Off-Dry Whites (43-46°F) Gewurztraminer (Off-Dry) Pinot Gris (Alsace) Riesling Kabinett (Off-Dry) Riesling Spätlese (Off-Dry) Chenin Blanc (Off-Dry) |
Rosé Wines
| 10-12°C | Quality Rosé (50-54°F) Malbec Rosé (Argentina) Pinot Noir Rosé (USA) Provence Rosé (France) Ribera del Duero Rosado (Spain) Shiraz Rosé (Australia) Shiraz Rosé (Chile) Syrah Rosé (USA) Tavel Rosé (France) Zinfandel Rosé (USA) |
| 8-10°C | Medium Rosé (46-50°F) Navarra Rosado (Spain) Nebbiolo Rosato (Italy) Murcia Rosado (Spain) Pinot Noir Rosé (New Zealand) Rioja Rosado (Spain) Valencia Rosado (Spain) |
| 6-8°C | Low Quality Rosé (43-46°F) |
Sparkling Wines
| 10-12°C | Full Body (50-54°F) Champagne (High Quality) |
| 8-10°C | Medium Body (46-50°F) Champagne (Medium Quality) Crémant Cava |
| 6-8°C | Light Body (43-46°F) Moscato d`Asti Prosecco |
Aperitifs
Dessert Wines
Fortified Wines
| 18°C | 64°F |
Vintage Port |
| 17°C | 63°F |
Sherry (Sweet) |
| 16°C | 61°F |
Ruby Port |
| 14°C | 57°F |
Madeira (Malvasia) Tawny Port (Old) Vin Santo |
| 12°C | 54°F |
Madeira (Bual and Verdelho) Tawny Port (Young) |
| 10°C | 50°F |
Madeira (Sercial) Riesling Auslese Sherry (Dry) Tokay |
| 8°C | 47°F |
Sauternes White Port |
| 6°C | 43°F |
Ice Wine |