By Lawrence B. Johnson

Wine should be, first of all, refreshing. And refreshment begins with temperature.

The ancient notion that red wines should be served at room temperature is exactly that – ancient, and therein lies the problem. Time was, before central heating, when homes (and dining establishments) were not the toasty places we know and require today. In those distant vintages, drinking wine at room temperature had quite a different meaning.

Personally, I find little pleasure in red wine that’s blood-warm. When warmish wine is served to me in a restaurant, I ask to have the bottle chilled in ice for a few minutes. Ideally, red wine comes to my table at cellar temperature – somewhere in the range of 55-60 degrees. Above that temperature, distinctive fruit flavors tend to collapse into an undifferentiated jam and, just as bad, recede behind a veil of alcohol.

The opposite problem looms with respect to white wine. Served too cold – say, out of the refrigerator at 37 degrees – the fruity components are impenetrable on the palate. This is easily observed. Just start with a very cold glass of white wine, then watch the flavors grow more complex, luscious and engaging as the chill wanes.

That said, white wines tend to be more satisfying at a somewhat cooler temperature than reds. I generally find that whites straight from the cellar – anyway, my cellar, which I keep at 55 degrees, the natural temperature of earthen caverns below the frost line – don’t quite deliver the exhilaration I seek. The best temperature for whites, for me, is about 45-50 degrees. I keep a small stash of white wines in the fridge; when the meal calls for a white accompaniment, I pull one out 20 minutes before serving.

Essentially, it’s the same principle as letting a good Brie or pâté come up to room temperature before serving. With the deep chill off, there’s more flavor to be savored.

The other big wine temperature issue concerns the cellar itself. Collectors take varying views on this subject. Some like to keep their wine around the 50-degree mark while others prefer 60. When I mentioned to a fellow collector that I kept my cellar at 55 degrees, he shot back: “Are you planning to live forever?”

What I assumed was a rhetorical question did touch on a key function of cellaring: not just to preserve wine but to allow it to evolve, or age. The cooler the storage room, the more slowly wine – both red and white – undergoes its natural transformation. Still, the temperature you choose is less important than keeping it relatively constant.

This is why many wine clubs and stores won’t ship in extremely warm or cold weather. Intense heat is the greater threat because it can damage wine.

Perhaps 55 degrees should be declared the vinous mean. It may not be golden, but it works for red and white.

Tags: red wine temperature, white wine temperature, wine cellar temperature, Wine temperature