The wine serving temperature can greatly influence the taste of a wine. Serving a wine cool can help mask the flaws seen in young or cheap wines, whereas serving wine warmer can allow the bouquet and complexity to be expressed, which is ideal for aged or full bodied wines. Lower temperatures also repress the 'bite' that alcohol can give in lighter bodied wines.

Wine Serving Temperatures:

C - Wine Style:

19 - Brandy, Cognac

18 - Full-bodied red wines, Vintage Port

17 - Tawny Port

15 - Medium bodied red wines - 'Rioja, Merlot'

14 - Amontillado Sherry

13 - Light bodied reds - 'Beaujolais'

12 - Full bodied whites - 'Oaked Chardonnay'

11 - Medium bodied white wines

10 - Rose, light bodied white wines, Botrytis wine

9 - Vintage Champagne

8 - Fino Sherry

7 - NV Champagne/ Methodes/ Late Harvest wine

6 - Sparkling, Asti

Have you ever tasted a full-bodied Chardonnay at room temperature? If so, it probably tasted mostly of oak the fruit was missing. If you've had it too cold, you've probably tasted nothing but acidity, again no fruit. In both cases, extreme temperature caused components to overpower the fruit, and the wine was out of balance. To experience a wine's aroma and flavour, it needs to be served at the correct temperature.

Most white wines will chill to a good drinking temperature after one and a half hours in the fridge. If you need to cool it faster, an ice bucket filled with ice and water will do the trick in about 30 min.

Most reds, if cellared at 13-14C, will need to be warmed. Ideally, you want your full-bodied reds served at 18C. Remember the average room temperature is about 21C even warmer in summer. Standing red wine at room temperature for two to three hours, well away from ovens and heaters, will warm them sufficiently. If time is of the essence, you can immerse the bottle in a basin of warm water for several minutes. (I am not a fan of the microwave option, especially wines with screw-caps).