What is the proper temperature at which to serve wine?
The maximum temperature that red wine should be served at is 67 F. The ideal temperature is between 62 to 65 F. You may put a bottle of red wine in the refrigerator 20 to 30 minutes if your room temperature is 70 to 75 F. Light fruity, non-tannic reds can be served cooler if desired: upper 50's.
A good white wine should be served at the minimum temperature of 45 F. The ideal temperature for white wine is 48 to 52 F. If you've refrigerated your white wine, take it out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving. The same is true for Champagne.
The easy rule of thumb is to put red wines in the refrigerator a half hour before serving. Take white wines out of the refrigerator a half hour before serving.
Both red and white wines should be refrigerated after they are opened. Refrigerating wine slows down the chemical reaction that spoils wine. Before serving allow the wine to warm up, especially if it is a red. Wines will last 1 to 2 days stored in this manner.
Retaining Wine's Freshness
The keys here are air and temperature. It is the oxygen that degrades the wine. Anything you do to reduce the contact between the wine and oxygen will prolong the life of the wine.
The most common household tool is the VacuVin, which pulls the air out of the top of the bottle after it's been opened. We have had positive feedback about the product.
Another clever product we carry is called Private Reserve. It is a can of inert gas (mostly Argon) that, when sprayed into a partially full bottle of wine, places a layer of gas between the wine and the oxygen in the air, thus preventing the oxygen from contacting the wine. Several staff members have used it with good results.
Both are available in our gift shops!
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