If you want to bring out the best aromas and flavors your wine has to offer then you’re going to need to figure out the best temperature to store your wine at. The vast majority of wines should be stored at somewhere between 5℃ or 40℉ and 18℃ or 65℉, but, as you can see, that’s a considerable range and your wine will always taste best if it is stored at the most suitable temperature for its kind.
Why Does Wine Temperature Matter?
Nothing beats a glass of perfectly chilled wine at the end of a busy day and wine temperature can have a big impact on the taste of the wine – both in a good way and a bad way! Master the art of storing and serving your wines at the right temperature and you’ll always have perfect parties, dinner dates, and special occasions.
So, What Is The Best Wine Storage Temperature?
We can’t tell you that exactly as it depends on the type of wine you’re serving. As noted above, generally speaking, most wines will be stored between 5-18℃ (40-65℉), but that doesn’t really help you to know what temperature to set your wine cooler to does it? Skip down to our Wine Serving Temperature Guide below for more specific advice on temperatures.
You can store your wines even up to 20℃ (68℉) without causing any great harm to your wine, as long as the temperature does not keep changing drastically. Wine likes to be in a steady, consistent temperature. Rapid or drastic changes in temperature could cause the wine to expand and contract quickly which would risk letting air into the bottle which would completely ruin your wine!
But don’t let your wine collection be exposed to temperatures above 25℃ (77℉) for any length of time. These warmer temperatures can effectively boil off the wine’s volatile compounds which can change the color and clarity of your wine.
At the other end of the scale, if the temperature falls below -4℃ (25℉), you risk your wines losing their flavor and aroma through the freezing process. Also, the cork may be forced out of the bottle completely ruining your wine. Cold temperatures such as these can slow down the maturing process of the wine and leave strong tannins, as well as create an extremely acidic taste – nobody wants that to happen to their wine!
So, What Temperature Should Wine Be Served At? And, Therefore, What Temperature Should I Set My Wine Cooler To?
The type of wine you are serving and/or storing will influence the temperature you need to serve your wine at. No doubt by now you’ve figured out that white wines like to be more chilled than red wines. We’ve created a simple table to give you a good idea of the best serving temperature for your wines. From a crisply chilled light sweet white wine to a full-bodied red, this table has got you covered!
Wine Serving Temperature Guide
