Wine Tasting - Serving Temperatures

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There is perpetual debate on the temperature that wine, be it red or white, should be served at. Personally I feel that reds should be allowed to express their full bouquet of scents and fragrances in the warm temperatures that we are accustomed to in Singapore. I have tried drinking red wines that have been chilled in the refrigerator, but I always find them very closed and unexpressive. When the bottle of red wine is opened at room temperature of 28 - 32 DegC here in Singapore. Without much swirling of the glass the fruity smells waft intensely to the nose.

Based on personal experience, Whites on the other hand, should be drunk chilled from the fridge. The cold chilled white wine, enhances the refreshing acidity and citrus taste commonly found in Whites. For sweet white wines, it is similar that it should be chilled so that the cold complements the dessert and syrupy feel of the wine. Also if drunk too warm, the smell of over-ripened and sickly sweetness maybe unpleasant.

Well above are my personal takes on tasting temperatures, here is the official guide below for those who are willing to experiment.



Some quick tips for temperature – A fridge takes two to four hours to chill a bottle of wine, so it’s not much use in an emergency. The quickest way to chill a wine is by immersing it in a bucket filled with a combination of ice and cold water. This is much faster than ice on it’s own. Add salt to the water for even quicker results. Wine chills down fairly swiftly in a freezer too, but if you forget to take it out in time, it will probably break the bottle as it freezes solid.
If a wine is too cold, the best thing is to pour the wine into a glass and then use your hands to cup the glass for a few minutes.