While white and sparkling wine is always chilled before serving, red wine is generally served at room temperature. However, wine experts have since revised this advice when it comes to serving red wine in Australia.
“The general rule of thumb is to serve red wine at room temperature, as red wine can run the risk of tasting too acidic when cooled,” says Nitin Arora, BWS Wine Category Manager. “However, the average room temperature of 22-23 degrees Celsius in Australia is too warm for red wines, and can actually cause them to lose an awful lot of character, especially with respect to aroma.”
Why you should be cooling your red wine
Nitin explains that when wine connoisseurs recommend serving red wine at room temperature, they are referring to a 15.5 to 20 degree cellar room, rather than the average room temperature in Australian homes, which is higher.
“Light, fruity reds are often served colder than this standard, at 12-15 degrees,” says Nitin. “Full bodied reds, such as cabernet sauvignon or a Bordeaux, should traditionally be served at cellar room temperature. Lighter reds, such as pinot noir or a Grenache, can use the additional chilling.”
Nitin suggests keeping these wines in the refrigerator for an hour or more to bring them down to about 15 degrees before serving.
The correct serving temperatures
The best way to understand the most suited serving temperature is based on categorising the wines by their body.
- Full-bodied reds should be served at 17 to 18 degrees
- Medium-bodied reds should be served at 15 to 17 degrees
- Light-bodied reds should be served at 12 to 15 degrees
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