Eat This, Drink That, Live Well

Eat This, Drink That, Live Well

Share this post

Eat This, Drink That, Live Well
Eat This, Drink That, Live Well
What’s the right temperature to serve wine?

What’s the right temperature to serve wine?

(Spoiler: warmer - and cooler - than you think!)

Fiona Beckett's avatar
Fiona Beckett
Aug 11, 2024
∙ Paid
25

Share this post

Eat This, Drink That, Live Well
Eat This, Drink That, Live Well
What’s the right temperature to serve wine?
15
2
Share
Photo by Demkat at shutterstock.com

With temperatures climbing well into the 30s this week you may think the colder the better when you’re pouring a glass of vino but that doesn’t suit all types of wine.

The mistake most people make when they’re serving wine is to pour whites too cold and reds too warm.

Here are some general pointers to bear in mind:

  • Chilling wine improves inexpensive whites and rosés but can dumb down richer, more expensive whites such as white burgundy. Leaving them in the fridge overnight is likely to make them far too cold and possibly deteriorate over a longer period

  • Even full-bodied reds benefit from being served cellar cool rather than at room temperature (which can easily hit 23°C or more in a centrally heated room)

  • Sparkling wine needs to be served cold not only to accentuate the bubbles but to stop the cork flying out explosively when you open the bottle

This post is for paid subscribers

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Fiona Beckett
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share