Ideal Serving Temperature for Wine (Red and White) | Wine Folly (2023)

FAQs

Ideal Serving Temperature for Wine (Red and White) | Wine Folly? ›

Serve red wines slightly cooler than room temperature, between 62–68 degrees F (15–20 °C). Generally speaking, serve white wines slightly warmer than fridge temperature, between 49-55 degrees F (7–12 °C). Learn more about wine! Subscribe to Wine Folly's free newsletter and get the practical guide on wine.

The ideal wine storage temperature is 55 – 59 °F (12 – 15 °C) and 55 – 75% humidity.

By keeping it away from sunlight, you can ensure that your wine is protected. Temperature wise, you want to make sure that your wine is stored somewhere where the temperature remains between 45-65 degrees Fahrenheit. You also want to make sure that the humidity level is around 70 percent.

Red Wine: Serve between 55°F and 65°F (13 to 18 degrees celsius) Red wine should be served between 55 and 65 degrees, with lighter reds on the cooler side and full-bodied reds closer to room temperature.

55°F is the ideal white wine storage temperature.

All wines, whether red or white, should be stored at a consistent temperature in a cool, dry place.

But wine is best stored between 53–57˚F when intended for aging, and temperatures can range from the mid-40s to mid-60s for service, depending on the wine. Once you creep past 70˚F, wine falls into the danger zone, and is in peril of irreparable damage.

White Wine And Rosé Should Be Served Cold — 50 to 60 degrees

After opening the bottle and pouring everyone their first glass, we prefer not to place it on ice, but instead let the bottle sweat on the table, as the wine's aromas and character changes slightly as the temperature rises, which we love.

Red wine is best served at least a little chilled.

“55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit is the ideal temperature for most reds, especially low-ABV and light reds that can be chilled even longer and served cooler, much cooler than a typical red," Fleming explained.

What temperature is too cold for red wine? ›

Additionally, wine will crystalize and freeze between 15-20◦F. This may cause the bottle to crack or the cork to pop, both of which will cause oxidization.

Heat is a wine killer. Temperatures over 70 degrees for a significant amount of time can permanently taint the flavor of wine. Above 80 degrees or so and you are literally starting to cook the wine. Wine heat damage tastes unpleasantly sour and jammy…

Light White Wines and Rose: Examples of light white wines are Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio. These wines are best served between 45-50° F, slightly cooler than heavier white wines.

Note: One that seems to surprise nearly everyone (even in restaurants) is the 55-60°F recommendation for Pinot Noir. Because Pinot is more delicate, acidic and lower-tannin than most other red wines, it is best showcased slightly chilled.

Keeping your wine in the refrigerator for a few days won't impact the quality of your white wine, since the average temperature of most refrigerators are below the 45° F range. There are, however, a few cautionary tips with keeping your wine in your food refrigerator for too long.

Wine should never be stored higher than 75 degrees fahrenheit for more than a couple of hour because at 75 degrees wine begins to oxidize. Wine suffers when it goes through from significant temperature changes. Keep a consistent temperature for optimum storage.

White wines can be stored at cooler temperatures than reds. 45 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit is good for whites...

Moving that bottle from the fridge to your basement, or to your wine shelf, after the wine is already chilled, is not going to affect the taste of the wine once you decide to chill it again.

Yes, for long term storage you should store your red wine in a wine cooler or temperature controlled wine cellar. The best temperature to store all types of wine at is 55°F, which is called the "cellar temperature", and is designed to replicate the original wine cellars used in France.

Wine Coolers or Wine Refrigerators

Dual-Zone – These coolers have two zones. We set the cooler zone up top (46 degrees for white wines and sparkling) and the warmer zone on the bottom (56 degrees for red wines). Or side to side if the model is set up that way.

Can you store red wine at 65 degrees? ›

Wine can safely be stored from 40 to 65 degrees, but the “perfect” temperature really comes down to how long you plan to store the wine. The aging of wine is a chemical process and colder storage temperatures delay the process. This means that colder temperatures will keep your wine from aging too quickly.

It's a common question that many wine drinkers face: How long can I store wine at room temperature? The most straightforward answer is that you can store wine at room temperature for about 6 months if stored well and kept away from too much light.

In very general terms the ideal wine storage temperature is probably between 10 and 15 °C (50 and 59 °F), but no great harm will come to wine stored between 15 and 20 °C (59 and 68 °F) so long as the temperature does not fluctuate too dramatically causing the wine to expand and contract rapidly, with a risk of letting ...

Lighter white wines are served the chilled, between 7-10 ̊ C (44- 50 ̊ F). White wines with more body, or oak, should be served at a warmer temperature of 10-13 ̊ C (50 – 55 ̊ F) – just lightly chilled.

White, Rosé and Sparkling Wine: Whites need a chill to lift delicate aromas and acidity.

There's nothing wrong with serving cabernet sauvignon at room temperature if that's what you're used to, but if you really want to get the full experience and the full flavor profiles, it's best to chill it for just a little while before serving.

The ideal storage temperature is 55° F. Cold temperatures aren't as dangerous as too-warm ones, although it's believed that cold slows down the aging process. Cold temperatures can also cause a wine to throw harmless tartrate crystals.

The optimum storage temperature for any wine is 55°F (~13°C), but you can safely store wine long-term in a range between about 45°F (~7°C) to 65°F (~18°C) if there is not a large change in temperature each day.

The ideal storage conditions for wine include a temperature of about 55° F. If the wine falls below that temperature (without freezing), you're not in danger of causing any harm, but that will slow down the aging process, which can make it harder to predict how the wine will evolve with age.

At temperatures above 82º the seal of a cork can become compromised, permitting the ingress of oxygen, which degrades the wine, flattening its flavors and leading to the creation of harsh acetic acid.

What happens if you serve red wine too warm? ›

Serving a wine too warm can lead to tasting only the alcohol and bitterness in the wine, while serving it too cold will mask the acidity, fruit structure or sweetness of the wine. Not only must one take into consideration room temperature, an actual refrigerator can greatly influence the flavor of wine as well.

If your red wine is young with chunky tannins, letting the wine breath for about 1 to 2 hours will reduce any harshness and bring out a more velvet-like texture. If your bottle is a lighter wine, or less alcoholic or concentrated in flavour, 30 minutes of breathing time should be ample.

Temperature

For most wines, the ideal storage temperature is somewhere between 45°F and 65°F. On the other hand, traditional fridges typically maintain a chilly average temperature of 40°F or below.

But wine is best stored between 53–57˚F when intended for aging, and temperatures can range from the mid-40s to mid-60s for service, depending on the wine. Once you creep past 70˚F, wine falls into the danger zone, and is in peril of irreparable damage.

The ideal storage temperature is 55° F. Cold temperatures aren't as dangerous as too-warm ones, although it's believed that cold slows down the aging process. Cold temperatures can also cause a wine to throw harmless tartrate crystals.

Wine should never be stored higher than 75 degrees fahrenheit for more than a couple of hour because at 75 degrees wine begins to oxidize. Wine suffers when it goes through from significant temperature changes.

There is usually only a 5 to 8 degree temperature difference between the top of a single zone wine cooler and the bottom so ultimately either your red wines will be too cold or your whites too warm depending on how you choose to set the master thermostat of the unit.

Full-bodied red wines should be served at room temperature. If reds are too cold, they may taste thin and harsh. Although you might be tempted to warm a red quickly, perhaps by placing it near a radiator, sudden exposure to extreme heat can permanently damage the wine.

The standard advice is to serve white wines chilled and reds at room temperature. But this custom developed before every house had a refrigerator at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or central heating set at 72.

Wine can safely be stored from 40 to 65 degrees, but the “perfect” temperature really comes down to how long you plan to store the wine. The aging of wine is a chemical process and colder storage temperatures delay the process. This means that colder temperatures will keep your wine from aging too quickly.

What happens if wine is served too cold? ›

"If you serve the wine too cold, you'll miss out on its acidity, fruit structure, and sweetness," says Ball. "Too much refrigeration can greatly influence the taste of the wine." On the other end of the temperature scale, a wine that's served too warm can smack of alcohol and bitterness.

These are the dual zone wine cooler temperatures that you can set for different types of wine. The best range is to set the temperature between 50 °F (11°C) and 65 °F (18°C) for red wine and set the other zone between 45 °F (7°C) and 50 °F (11°C) for white wine.

Wine experts suggest that the ideal temperature range is between 45° F and 65° F, with 55° F often cited as close to perfect.

You'll want to serve red wine slightly chilled below room temperature, between 58-65 degrees Fahrenheit. Remember that red wines may need time to oxidize in a decanter to balance out their more robust flavors. White wines should be allowed to warm up for serving at around 45-55 degrees.

Beware! Heat is a wine killer. Temperatures over 70 degrees for a significant amount of time can permanently taint the flavor of wine. Above 80 degrees or so and you are literally starting to cook the wine.

How long can you store wine at room temperature? Don't worry, you haven't destroyed your wine just yet. Wine can be stored at room temperature for about 6 months before any major damage has occurred, assuming it's not in direct sunlight or by your furnace.

Absolutely. When it comes to storing bottles of wine, one temp fits all: Regardless of a wine's color or style, it should be stored at about 55° F for optimal aging and preservation.