At what temperature should wines be served?
Everyone knows that you chill whites and you don’t chill reds. But the problem with that simplistic rule is that white wines generally get served too cold and red wines too warm. A good rule of thumb is to take white wines out of the fridge 20 minutes before serving and pop the red wines into the fridge 20 minutes before serving. Ideal serving temperatures for white wines are around 45-55 degrees; if they are too cold, they are refreshing but can lose some of their taste. Most red wines are best when served at about 65 degrees which typically is a little cooler than room temperature. An exception to this rule of thumb is sparkling wine which should be chilled thoroughly before popping the cork in order to prevent gushing and losing a good portion of the bottle.
