Wine Serving Temperatures
The serving temperature of wine is crucial!
Cold wine tastes completely different from wine served at a warmer temperature.
Best Performance
Light white wines at 6-10°C (43-50°F).
Fuller white wines at 10-14°C (50-57°F).
Light and fresh red wines at 14-16°C (57-61°F).
Powerful red wines at 16-18°C (61-64°F).
No wine should be served hotter than 18°C (64°F).
Red Wines
| 17-18°C 63-64°F |
Rich, Intense, and Oaky Reds 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 61-63°F |
Rich and Oaky Reds Chianti Classico Riserva Rioja Reserva Barbaresco Merlot (Oaked) Pinotage Ribera del Duero |
| 15-16°C 59-61°F |
Rich Reds Bordeaux (Medium Quality) Burgundy (High Quality) Barbera Côtes du Rhône (South) Rioja Crianza |
| 14-15°C 57-59°F |
Medium - Light Reds Bardolino Burgundy (Medium Quality) Cabernet Franc Chianti Classico Dolcetto Merlot Pinot Noir Zinfandel (Light) |
| 12-14°C 54-57°F |
Light Reds Beaujolais Gamay Valpolicella |
| 10-12°C 50-54°F |
Light Juicy Reds Beaujolais Nouveau |
| 8-10°C 46-50°F |
Sparkling Reds Lambrusco |
White Wines
| 12-14°C 54-57°F |
Full Bodied Oaked Whites Chardonnay (High Quality) White Burgundy (High Quality) |
| 10-12°C 50-54°F |
Full Bodied Whites Chablis (High Quality) Rioja Blanco (Oaked) Sémillon Soave Superiore Viognier |
| 8-10°C 46-50°F |
Dry Whites 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 43-46°F |
Off-Dry Whites Gewurztraminer (Off-Dry) Pinot Gris (Alsace) Riesling Kabinett (Off-Dry) Riesling Spätlese (Off-Dry) Chenin Blanc (Off-Dry) |
Rosé Wines
| 10-12°C 50-54°F |
Quality Rosé 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 46-50°F |
Medium Rosé Navarra Rosado (Spain) Nebbiolo Rosato (Italy) Murcia Rosado (Spain) Pinot Noir Rosé (New Zealand) Rioja Rosado (Spain) Valencia Rosado (Spain) |
| 6 - 8°C 43-46°F |
Low Quality Rosé |
Sparkling Wines
| 10-12°C 50-54°F |
Full Body Champagne (High Quality) Crémant (High Quality) Blanc de Noirs |
| 8-10°C 46-50°F |
Medium Body Champagne Crémant Blanc de Blanc Cava |
| 6 - 8°C 43-46°F |
Light Body Moscato d`Asti Prosecco |
Aperitifs
Dessert Wines
Fortified Wines
| 17-18°C 63-64°F |
Vintage Port |
| 16-17°C 61-63°F |
Sherry (Sweet) |
| 15-16°C 59-61°F |
Ruby Port |
| 13-14°C 55-57°F |
Madeira (Malvasia) Tawny Port (Old) Vin Santo |
| 12-13°C 53-55°F |
Madeira (Bual and Verdelho) Tawny Port (Young) |
| 10-11°C 50-52°F |
Madeira (Sercial) Riesling Auslese Sherry (Dry) Tokay Marsala |
| 8-10°C 46-47°F |
Sauternes White Port |
| 6 - 8°C 43-46°F |
Ice Wine |
| 4 - 6°C 40-43°F |
Red Martini White Martini |
The Art of Serving Cold Wine
3 ways to keep it cool
Ice Bucket + Ice + Water
- Fill the bucket with ice
- Fill the bucket halfway with water
- Drop in the wine bottle
- Now you are chilling!
Without water you will not get a good result. The water creates an icy bath and expand the contact surface.
With ice cubes only, there will be a lot of air around the bottle, and it is difficult to push the bottle down.
Geek trick:
Add a cup of salt per gallon of water and dump the ice on the top.
The salted water has a lower freezing temperature.
The same happens if you add sugar.
Insulated Containers
Wine Coolers or Wine Chillers are made of insulated material.
Their shape fits easily the bottle.
Their function is to keep the wine chilled until the bottle is finished.
They come in different materials: from stainless steel to double-walled glass, plastic and neoprene.
Wine Cooler Sleeves
Wine Cooler Sleeves are iceless wine chillers.
They keep wine cold but can also chill down room-temperature wines.
Wine Cooler Sleeves become handy at pool parties, pic nic, on the beach, or in a boat where an ice bucket might tip over.
Contact Table Wine Chiller
Contact Table Wine Chillers are perfect for presentation of wine bottles.
They decorate the table without taking much space, making the bottle accessible and the label readable.
Their function is to keep the wine chilled until the bottle is finished.
They have an integrated cold pack that is kept on the freezer until the wine is ready to be served.
Ideal for easily looking at the label and discuss the wine while you sip it.