Serving temperature
A wine should be served about 2 °Celsius too cold rather than too warm. This is because it warms up relatively quickly on its own without any additional effort. Above 20° Celsius, the alcohol begins to evaporate strongly, which can bring a wine "out of balance". With sparkling or effervescent wines, more carbon dioxide is released at a higher temperature, resulting in an unpleasantly frothy taste. Taste deficiencies of a simple wine can be concealed by colder temperature.
The ideal temperature depends primarily on the wine (type and age), but also on the season. In summer, all wines generally taste better when they are a few degrees cooler than in winter. A special wine climate cabinet with different climate zones from which you can take the wine at the ideal temperature is best. Otherwise, the wine must be brought to the right temperature.
Rapid cooling
Putting the bottle in a freezer to cool it down quickly is not recommended shock therapy and could also prove fatal if the bottle breaks. In a normal refrigerator at about 6 to 8 °Celsius, this may take too long. For cooling as quickly as possible, various devices are available, such as the Rapid Ice (5 to 10 minutes) or Ravi Wine Chiller brands (immediate cooling on pouring). Exposing the wine bottle to cold running water for a correspondingly long time is quite a good option "in an emergency". To prevent the wine from heating up too quickly after opening, place the bottle in a wine cooler, which comes in different types (clay, stainless steel, plexiglass). For sparkling wine (sparkling wine, champagne), a champagne bucket is often used.
Wine types
A wine cellar that is ideal for storing wines has a temperature of around 8 to 12 °C and a humidity of 70 to 80%. This is the ideal temperature for many dry wines. White wines. White wines aged in barriques also have a certain amount of tannins. Therefore, the temperature should be at least 2 °C higher. Especially white wines rich in carbon dioxide and Sparkling wines or Sparkling wines usually taste best at 8 °C and lower. Vintage champagnes(millésime), on the other hand, should be treated like white wines because they are usually more aromatic.
At Red wines room temperature is still often described as ideal. However, this rule, which is no longer valid today, dates from times when the temperature in rooms was 15 to a maximum of 18 °Celsius, which would be closer to the "correct" red wine temperature. Today, however, the room temperature is 21 °Celsius and more, which is much too warm for red wines. Sometimes the vague term "temperate" is used, meaning an "ideal drinking temperature". As a rule of thumb, the more tannic the wine, the higher the drinking temperature. The range is between 12 and 14 °Celsius for light red wines and rosés and 16 to 18 °Celsius for tannin-rich top wines.
At Sweet wines and Spirits has positively undergone a total "change of heart". In the past, the rule was that they should be enjoyed at 6 to 8 °C. This neutralises the taste, however. But this neutralises the taste. This does not play a role with vodka, but it does with aromatic brandies and Trockenbeerenauslesen.
Temperature table
The values often given in tables and also on bottle labels for optimum drinking enjoyment refer to the temperature in the glass. The wine poured into the glass warms up within a very short time. At a room temperature of 21 °C this is as follows: for a wine between 4 and 10 °C by about 1 °C in 3 to 4 minutes, and for a wine between 10 and 15 °C by 1 °C in 6 to 8 minutes. This means, for example, for a white wine at 6 to 8 °C, a maximum of 15 minutes until it reaches the ideal drinking temperature of 10 to 12 °C. Therefore, as already mentioned above, a wine may well be a little cooler when poured. If the temperature is too cold, a hot water bucket is acceptable.
There are many tables that indicate the correct drinking temperature for almost every type of wine. However, the recommended values often vary considerably. Particularly detailed is that of the British wine author Hugh Johnson in his book "Great Johnson". The taster Émile Peynaud (1912-2004) manages with a simple table in his standard work "The High School for Wine Connoisseurs". The one below is similar and has been supplemented with some spirits. The colder the temperature, the more the flavour aromas recede into the background. As with "Which wine goes with which food", however, "what tastes good" also applies here. It is important to gather your own experience, which is why records are helpful.
further information
See also decanting, bottle ageing, cooking wine, drinking maturity, enjoying wine, wine glasses and wine with food.
