Temperature

Wine assessment is greatly influenced by temperature. To evaluate a wine’s
temperature it is best to get a special thermometer at wine shops. There’s not an exact temperature for each wine, there are only reference temperatures, but these can be altered according to one’s personal taste. Take a look at the thermometer to see the reference temperatures for each type of wine.

The best way to chill a bottle is to fill a bucket with ice and cold water (in equal portions) and dip the bottle in it, instead of putting it in a refrigerator or freezer. In about eight minutes the temperature of the wine will go from 18ºC to 3ºC. If the bucket is not deep enough, dip the neck of the bottle first and then, after a few minutes, turn the bottle. You can also use a cooler bag, which is filled with frozen jelly and quickly chills the bottle.

 If you wish to raise the wine’s temperature, you may leave the bottle in the kitchen to let it gradually and slowly heat up. If you need a quick solution, you may fill a bucket with hot water and dip the bottle in it. In about eight minutes, temperature will go from 13ºC to 18ºC. However, you should be careful not to overheat the wine and, if you intend to decant it, do it before heating the wine.

The idea of serving red wine at room temperature works well most of the time; however, if you live in a hot country, it might be an unpleasant experience. So, don’t be amazed if you see a friend of yours take a bottle of red wine out of the refrigerator.