Keeping it chill. The ‘Proper’ Way to Serve it up with Style

Aug 18 2009

I have a secret to tell you. And, at risk of embarrassing myself, I’m going to share it with all you fab PalateBomb.com readers/drinkers. Are you ready for this? Here it goes. I used to serve my reds cold. Just-out-of-the-fridge, same temperature as I store last night’s phad thai leftovers, COLD.

It’s part of my history that I’m not proud of, but I was far from one of the worst offenders out there.  Wine connoisseurs: prepare yourselves (you may just want to skip the next paragraph entirely).

It’s a common practice with my husband’s family to put ice in their wine to “cool it off.” I’m not making this up. During family gatherings, we’ve actually been served a glass of port (and good port at that!) that had disgusting chunks of ice floating conspicuously in it. My husband tossed his out. I chugged it (What? I come from the college-student mentality where you don’t turn down free drinks. EVER!) I’m not going to lie, it was pretty gross.

But WHY was it gross? You can throw ice cubes in a class of cola on a hot day and it’s refreshing, so what makes wine so temp-sensitive and does it really matter? I’m here to tell you, from one wine non-snob to the next, it actually does!
First, it is important to understand why you enjoy wine. If you’re just drinking to get drunk, why the heck are you drinking wine? I’m up for tequila shots…let’s go! No, but seriously, most people indulging in wine are doing so because they enjoy the taste (and it improves your conversational skills by at least 46%. That’s a scientific fact right there!).

Wine varietals offer extremely complex characteristics. Have you ever looked at a tasting sheet at a winery?  What do you taste and smell in your reds? Are you tasting chocolate, coffee, dark fruit, or pepper? What do you taste in your whites? Could it be peach, melons, butter, or citrus? The funny thing about wine: if it’s not served at the right temperature, you miss out on a lot of these fantastic subtleties.

Now, the question begs, what temperature should you serve your wine at?

Unfortunately, it’s not that easy as a “one-size-fits-all” for each bottle. There are web sites out there that can get more specific than I will here, but a good guideline for reds is 59-65 degrees Fahrenheit. The deeper and more full-bodied the red, the higher the serving temperature. A port would be at the top of the spectrum at about 65-66 degrees.

White wines should be served cooler – with most rieslings down at the bottom of the chill spectrum (45-47 degrees) and others, like viognier, at almost 54 degrees. Ice wines should be served even cooler than your other whites.

Now, can most people get their pinot noir at exactly 60.5 degrees (random temp selected here)? Not likely. And while temperature is important, wine should be ENJOYED, not made into a science. Some good rules of thumb to maximize your wine drinking experience:

For red wines – Very slightly chilled – place on ice about a half an hour prior to serving.

For white wines – Keep it cool – you can keep in the refrigerator, but make sure you take out with enough time (at least a half hour) to warm up just a little.

And whatever you do, DO NOT PUT ICE IN YOUR WINE.