Introduction to Lesson 4 – Wine Temperature for Storing and Serving
Storing Wine, The drinking temperature, Chilling wine at the table
Are red wines always served at room temperature and white wines from the refrigerator?
How can too much heat affect a wine’s taste?
These and other questions are tackled in this lesson.
Why is temperature important for wine? Two reasons really. One is for the long-term storage of wine so that it ages and tastes better rather than spoiling (usually oxidizing) and becoming undrinkable. The second reason is for serving the wine at a temperature that drinkers prefer and yet still showcases the aromas, flavors, and tastes of the wine.
After all, you need to know when to bring an ice bucket to the table and how long it will take to get that wine to the right drinking temperature.
You will also need to know what tastes and aromas the guest may complain about if the wine was sitting in a delivery truck too long during the summer or stored in the kitchen too close to the stove or oven.
All of these factors may interfere with the guest’s wine enjoyment and thus indirectly affect how they think of, and reward your wine service.
Did you hear the one about don’t kill the messenger? Well — “don’t blame the wine server for the taste” isn’t always practiced by dining guests.