What is the right temperature to serve every type of wine?

When it comes to serving your favourite bottle of wine at the correct temperature, ideally it should be just right. Too hot and the wine’s alcohol will be emphasized, leaving it flat and flabby. Too cold and the aromas and flavours will be muted and, for reds, the tannins may seem harsh and astringent. The old adage of serving white wines chilled and red wines at room temperature is a useful starting point, although not nearly detailed enough.

The Wine Temperature Serving Guide

The reason we try to serve wine at their correct temperatures is because the temperature can dramatically impact the way a wine smells and tastes. By serving the wine at its ideal temperature, we ensure we will always get the best experience and enjoyment from our favourite bottle.

Here are my five general rules that should serve you well:

Non-Vintage Champagne/Sparking Wine and Ice Wine Should Be Served Ice Cold — 4 to 6 degrees

I like to put my bubbly in the freezer about an hour before I pop it – but don’t forget about it or you’ll have an explosion. If you’re short on time, you can also place the bottle in an ice bucket for 30 minutes and have similar results. The ice cold temperature will keep the bubbles fine rather than foamy. After you open the bottle and pour the first glasses, you should place the open bottle on ice until the entire bottle is finished.

Lighter Bodied White Wine, Sweeter Rosé, Vintage Champagne and Dessert Wine Should Be Served Cold — 6 to 10 degrees

The best way to get lighter bodied white wine and sweeter rose cold is to place it in the fridge immediately after buying it; however, if you buy the wine already chilled the same day you want to drink it, either leave it in the fridge for several hours, or you can place it in the freezer for about 30 minutes. After you open the bottle and pour the first glasses, you should place the open bottle on ice until the entire bottle is finished.

Full Bodied White Wine and Dry Rosé Should Be Served Cool — 10 to 14 degrees

The best way to get full bodied white wine cool is to place it in the fridge or preferably a wine fridge immediately after buying it. I suggest taking the wine out of the fridge 30 minutes prior to serving and after opening the bottle and pouring everyone their first glass, I 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.

Lighter Bodied Red Wine Should Be Served Cooled — 12 to 16 degrees

The most common misconception with lighter bodied red wine is that it is ideal to serve it at room temperature (see below), when in fact serving it cool is the best way to enjoy it. To cool lighter red down to its proper serving temperature, either place it in the fridge an hour before serving or preferably invest in a good quality wine fridge and serve immediately at the right temperature.  After opening and either decanting or pouring the first glasses, just as with full bodied white I like leaving the wine out on the table to slowly warm.

Full Bodied Red Wine Should Be Served at Room Temperature — 16 to 18 degrees

Depending on the time of year, room temperature in Australia sits somewhere between 20°C and 25°C which is not the ideal serving temperature. Red wine served too warm will lose all its finesse and freshness to an overpowering sensation of alcohol. To cool full bodied red down to its ideal serving temperature, I like to place it in the fridge 20 minutes before serving or preferably invest in a good quality wine fridge and just take it out 15 minutes prior to serving. After opening and either decanting or pouring the first glasses, leave the wine out on the table.

For those like myself who wish to be even more specific, I have included below some more detailed serving temperature recommendations for Australia’s most popular wine varietals.