Every wine has a specific temperature at which it should be served and this serves to best enhance its organoleptic characteristics. In simpler terms, serving a wine at the right temperature allows its aromas and flavors to be enhanced, determining the sense of taste-olfactory pleasantness during drinking.
It is therefore necessary to understand that for a good wine to best enhance the floral and fruity scents and make us reach the maximum sensorial pleasure, it is necessary to serve it in a special glass and at the correct temperature. Without observing these precautions, even the most important or expensive fine wine can be unpleasant. Therefore:
Sparkling wines should be served at a temperature of 4-6°C. Sparkling wines are all wines with bubbles; among these we remember Champagne, Franciacorta, Prosecco or other wine that has bubbles.
White wines are divided into 2 categories:
a) young and fresh white wines should be served at a temperature between 8-10°C, which are aged only in steel and should be drunk within a few months;
b) more structured white wines should be served at a temperature between 10-12°C, which are aged for a longer period and have more evolved aromas.
Rosé wines should be served at a temperature of 12-14°C, which have some of the characteristics of white and red wines, especially the aromas and scents of white wines and the body of red wines. This middle ground means that they should be served at an intermediate temperature between white wines and red wines.
Red wines are also divided into 2 categories:
a) young red wines should be served at a temperature between 14-16°C to appreciate their vinous aroma and delicious floral and fresh fruit notes.
b) Long-aged red wines should be served at a temperature of 16-18°C, that is, evolved red wines with great structure and tannins, highlighting not only the elegance of the wine, but above all the tertiary aromas and the pleasant taste given by the balance of the soft and hard parts of the wine. Higher temperatures would enhance unpleasant scents, such as excess alcohol, covering the ripe fruit or spicier scents, which instead enhance the peculiar characteristics of these wines.
The very normal refrigerators in our homes are set to an average temperature of 6-7° so it is easy to understand that a young white wine taken from the fridge can be served after a few minutes of acclimatization to reach the ideal temperature, while to serve a rosé wine you need to wait about half an hour.
Red wines, on the other hand, which are more easily stored in the cellar at temperatures between 11-15°C can be served in the short span of a few minutes of acclimatization.
A little trick to keep the serving temperature of white and rosé wines stable during the meal is to use the “Glacette”, (not very common), that is, a cylindrical plastic container that serves to keep the temperature of the wine constant. To check the temperature of the wine, you can use the special quick-read thermometer.
Summary:
TYPES OF WINE SERVING TEMPERATURE
- Dry sparkling wines 4-6°C
- Sweet sparkling wines and sparkling wines 6-8°C
- Young white wines and rosé wines 8-10°C
- Structured and evolved white wines, white dessert wines and fortified wines 10-12°C
- Structured rosé wines, delicate and slightly tannic red wines 12-14°C
- Medium-structured and tannic red wines, red dessert wines and fortified wines 14-16°C
- Evolved red wines, with great structure and tannicity 16-18°C