OK. If you passed Wine 101 and know the basics of wine tasting, holding your glass by the stem, swishing, swirling and spitting occasionally...it's now time to get the best taste out of every glass of wine. You simply need to serve your wine at the proper temperature.
If you serve Chardonnay straight out of the frig, it is way to cold. If you live in Phoenix and serve your Cabernet Sauvignon at room temperature your wine is too warm. If you have a basement, that may be the coolest place to store your wines.
If your budget permits, you should look into purchasing a wine refrigerator. We purchased a Haier 42 Bottle unit at Lowes for $249. It has really done wonders for our wines. The unit has two basic temperature settings Red or White. I suggest that you set yours to Red. You can still obtain great control for your white wines if you store them on the bottom shelves.(Remember heat rises!)
If a wine refrigerator is not in your current budget, you may consider purchasing a wine thermometer. They are available at fine wine stores or online at www.wineenthusiast.com
HERE'S MY SUGGESTED SERVING TEMPERATURES:
Champagne, Sparkling or Dessert Wines 42-45*
(Should be as cold as beer!)
Most Whites 42-45*
Rose and Beaujolais 48-52*
Light Reds (Pinot Noir) 54*
If you can obtain these serving temperatures, you will notice a mouthful of delicious fruit and flavor!
Cheers!
