April 13, 2007, Newsletter Issue #41: Chill Whites and Warm Reds? Not Always

Tip of the Week

The old adage that tells us to refrigerate all whites and drink all reds at room temperature needs an overhaul. The reason experts stress this is because "room temperature" can be a debatable term in the food wine world. The temperature of a room in New York in September is going to be a lot different than the temperature of a room in Texas in September. Therefore, you may need to chill your red wine with a short stint in the refrigerator and you may need to warm up a white wine by leaving it out for a while. So these rules aren't always hard and fast. Think about what's sensible for your time and place with that particular bottle of wine. Peruse wine Web sites for wine temperature guidelines. They will tell you specifics about reds served at room temperature why many whites are chilled. Chilling whites: As a rule, white and sparkling wines are best served well-chilled (40 to 55 F), with sparkling wines and lighter whites at the lower range of the scale and fuller-bodied, richer whites, such as Chardonnay, at the upper range. An hour in the refrigerator, a half-hour in the freezer, or fifteen minutes in a ice bucket with water and ice, does the trick. Avoid over-chilling, especially with high-quality whites, because it will blunt the complexity of the wine's aromas and flavors. And remember that cheaper whites are best served well-chilled. Room temperature reds: Red wines should be served at cool room temperature (55 to 65 F), with lighter, fruitier reds (for example, Beaujolais and Pinot Noir), at the lower range and fuller-bodied varieties (for example, Cabernet, Zinfandel and Syrah), at the upper range. And remember, if you serve a wine too cool, the flavors will all be hidden. If you serve a wine too hot, all you can taste is the alcohol.

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