Temperature Matters

The Art of the Perfect Wine Chill

We’ve all probably enjoyed wine at some un-ideal temperatures, whether guzzled straight from the fridge or a little too warm in a plastic cup in the park. But to really elevate your drinking experience and get maximum enjoyment out of the wine you’ve paid for, serving temperature makes a big difference. There is a tendency to serve reds too warm and some whites too cold, but wine at the correct temperature will fully reveal its fruit freshness and layers of complexity.

**No more room-temp reds **

The clearest sign of temperature-rethinking is a trend you’ve probably noticed: the phenomenon of the “chilled red” has moved firmly into the mainstream over the last few years. More and more people come into the shop looking for a gluggable red that tastes wonderful cooled down. Often, the wine in this category is expected to either be really light in colour, almost nearing rosé status, and equally light on the palate, or something so fruit-driven it has a nose reminiscent of gummy lollies.

While both of these styles are, in fact, delicious a bit colder, there is not one narrow “type” that fits into the “chilled red” category. In fact, for the most delightful drinking experience, you should actually bring all of your reds down a bit in temperature. The days of the room-temperature red are over.

The serving temperature of a red wine depends on where it falls on the scale of weight and intensity of tannin. A light-bodied red, like Gamay or Pinot Noir, will sing at just around 12-14 degrees Celsius, expressing its lovely fruit character. Reds that have slightly more body and structure, like Grenache, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, and Montepulciano will do well slightly warmer, at around 14-16 degrees. Even your fullest-bodied reds like Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon should be served cooler than typical Australian room temperature: around 16-18 degrees. When a red wine is served too warm, the alcohol will feel hot and overpowering. Chilling it properly allows the full spectrum of fruit to shine.

Don’t over-chill your whites

When we think of white wine, we often assume it should be served ice-cold across the board. But when a white wine is too cold, it mutes some of the lovely flavours and emphasises the acidity to an unpleasant degree. Crisp, light whites should be served at around 7-9 degrees Celsius. Whites that are strongly aromatic, like Riesling and Gewürztraminer, can be served around 8-10 degrees. Fuller-bodied white like Chardonnay often reveal much more complexity as they come up in temperature in the glass. If your fridge is super cold, let your wine warm up in the glass for a minute or so before enjoying.

Rosés should be served close to the crisp-white end of the spectrum, around 7-9 degrees, to reveal bright, refreshing fruit character.

**Proper temperature means more enjoyment ** Temperature impacts your perception of flavours more than you might think. Keep these tricks in mind next time you’re about to enjoy a bottle and see if it makes a difference. As an experiment, make some quick tasting notes at the first moment you drink your wine, and then make some again 5 minutes later and compare: you might notice more complex aromas, layers of flavour, and changes in texture.