Serving temperature

Serving temperature is quite simply the temperature the wine has in the glass when you drink it. It sounds like a detail, but it has a big impact on what you actually taste and smell. The temperature governs how clearly the wine's aromas come forward, and how its sweetness, acidity, body and tannins behave on the palate. A wine that is too cold or too warm rarely shows what the winemaker has put into it.

As a rule of thumb, you serve light, fresh white wines and mousserende vin fairly cool (around 7-8 degrees), while fuller-bodied white wines can stand a couple of degrees warmer. Red wines benefit from more warmth, and powerful, tannic red wines show best at around 17-18 degrees. This is because cold dampens the impression of sweetness and body, accentuates the acidity and makes the tannins seem more tight and rough. Warmth, on the other hand, draws out aromas and alcohol and softens the tannin structure.

A good piece of advice is to pour a smaller amount at a time, so the wine does not have time to turn lukewarm in the glass while you eat. A widespread misconception is that white wine should always be ice cold and red wine at room temperature. In practice the fridge is often too cold and a modern living room too warm, so a little adjustment in both directions typically gives a more harmonious experience.</parameter>

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