Serving temperature

Strong objections should be raised to the old adage that “red wine should be drunk at room temperature”, given the fact that, in the majority of cases, this is way above the recommended temperature. The last part of the sentence is missing: “room temperature... of the wine cellar”; in other words, at 16 - 18ºC which is the normal temperature for underground cellars.

This is also true for whites and rosés, although the other way round. These marvellous barrel-fermented Chardonnays, when really chilled, lose all their finesse and aromatic complexity. When a wine is too cold, regardless of whether it is a good or bad wine, its aroma disappears and it becomes completely neutral.

Effects of an inadequate serving temperature on wine tasting

• Aroma: The higher the wine temperature, the more volatile the aromas and, therefore, these will appear more intense. However, after a certain temperature is reached, the wines become hot and alcoholic. The contrary is also true: the lower the temperature, the less intense and aromatic the wine.
• Taste:
  • Sweet: the impression of sweetness and alcohol increases with the rise in temperature, for this reason sweet wines must be served chilled (although not ice cold).
  • A burning sensation, which is the sum of the acidity and alcohol also increases with the rise in temperature.
  • The saltiness, bitterness and astringency, however, are strengthened as the temperature decreases. This explains why structured red wine should never be served cold.
  • Hardness, which is the sum of the acidity and tannicity is strengthened as the temperature decreases.
• Effervescence: The carbonic gas is released more rapidly at higher temperatures, therefore sparkling wines should be served cold and kept in an ice bucket with water and ice throughout the meal.

Ideally the wines should be allowed to gradually reach their optimum temperature, with no abrupt changes. For a great red wine, the bottle should be taken out of the cellar the day before and left standing for 24 hours in a cool place (16 - 18 ºC). Never put wine in the freezer, or a very hot bottle of red wine in an ice bucket. For optimum results, in the Hotel and Catering sector it is very practical to use multi-temperature wine storage cabinets.

Finally, it should never be forgotten that, once in the glass, the wine temperature increases by an additional one or two degrees, particularly if the room is warm.