Most people have the idea that red wine should be served at room temperature.

However, that really refers to the temperature in a wine cellar. In fact, the best temperature for serving wine varies according to the type of wine.

wine temperature and storage

We often serve our white wines too cold and our red wines too warm. Serving an over-chilled white minimises its flavours and aromas. Serving a red wine too warm makes it take on a soupy character and brings out too many alcoholic fumes. The table below will serve as a good guideline for how to serve your wine. Don’t be afraid to chill a lighter red, either – certain gamay-based wines, for example, will benefit from an hour in the fridge before serving, especially in summer.

serving temperature

7°C Almost all white wines and champagnes

10°C Full-bodied, high quality white wines, including sweet wines and rich, white Burgundies. Also the lighter reds, like Beaujolais

15°C Red wines and ports

storage

Keep your wine bottles stored so that:

The cork stays moist (always keep bottles on their sides)

The wines are at the lowest stable temperature possible
(make sure not to have a wine rack near a fridge, cooker or heater, for example)

The location is free of vibration

The location is not used to store other items that have a strong odour

The wine is kept out of direct sunlight and strong lighting

If you’re storing a bottle of wine that’s already been opened, a vacu-vin stopper (available from any good wine merchant) will keep it drinkable – but not for more than two or three days.

White wine should not be stored long-term in the fridge. Store as above, and then chill before serving.

If you’re storing finer wines for a long time, it’s best to ask your wine merchant’s advice about how long to store it before its optimum drinking age… if it lasts that long!