Do You Drink Wine Hot or Cold? A Guide to Make You a Wine Snob

Have you been putting your white wines in the refrigerator and the reds near the stove? Here’s what you need to know

Have you been putting your white wines in the refrigerator and the reds near the stove? Or have you been discarding that heavily sedimented wine because you don’t like it that thick? If the answer to any of these is yes, we give you a low down on the correct temperature for storing and serving wines and how to drink the heavily sedimented ones.

Storing and serving wines at the correct temperature is as important as stirring, sniffing and sipping wines – if not more. At the correct temperature, the aromas of wine will be more intense and the flavours spot on.

Here are a few ways in which you can make your wine drinking experience more enjoyable:

Storing ’Em Horizontally

If you thought you could showcase your wines just like your Dalmores and Johnnie Walkers, you might want to think again.

Because, a wine should always be stored horizontally.

You can store all those gorgeous bottles that form a part of your collection one on top of the other, but hey, you run the risk of the bottles breaking. Investing in a simple, small wooden or a plastic wine rack is the best option.

Why store them horizontally, on its belly, you may ask? Because, that keeps the wines in constant contact with the cork, preventing them from drying out and imparting off-flavours to the wine.

Also, don’t store those bottles next to a heater or in the kitchen close to the stove, lest you run the risk of harming those expensive wines! Also, do not store wine at sub zero temperature. (That means no freezer.)

Hot or Cold?

That white wine should be served chilled and red wine at room temperature is essentially correct, but isn’t the whole story.
Over chilling white wines can mute their flavours. Light, acidic whites, sparkling and very sweet wines should be served no higher than 10 deg C.
Reds are best served slightly cooler than room temperature. Lighter fruity reds and the rose wines are best served lightly chilled, maybe an hour in the refrigerator.

Says Nikhil Agarwal, Sommelier and CEO at All Things Nice:

Serve your bubbly chilled and the Merlots and the Sauvignons at room temperature or slightly cooler. The wrong temperature can affect the taste of the wine greatly and even a beautiful wine will taste terrible when not served at the right temperature.

Allow the Wine to ‘Breathe’

Think of allowing a wine to ‘breathe’ as similar to stretching its legs after being cooped up in a bottle for so many years!

Breathing allows the wine to oxidise, soften its flavours and release its aroma. Wines that are rich in tannins – like the Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Zinfandel and many wines from Rhine valley, actually taste better with aeration. This is similar to swirling the wine in your glass, thus allowing the wine aromas to be displayed. A period of 25 to 30 minutes is enough for breathing. However, extended exposure may have a negative effect and impart a vinegar-y smell or taste to the wine.

Says Ajit Balgi, a wine consultant with The Happy High:

Allowing a wine to breathe depends on the style of wine, but as a ground rule, decant all age-worthy reds and all young heavy reds. A 30-minute decant works well for most.

Watch Out For That Opening Fizz!

Many people are still intimidated by the opening of sparkling wines. Remember, that the longer a bottle is made to sit, the less ‘lively’ it will be. If the bottle has been badly shaken, then there are little chances it will not go off like a firecracker. But the colder the sparkling wine is, the calmer it will be.

Also, if you don’t want that opening fizz – or the wine to spurt out, gently take the wire cage off. Grasp the cork and turn the bottle instead of the cork. Work gently and when you see the cork beginning to rise, it should be possible to control it from popping.

You Need to Decant (Here’s What That Means)

Decanting a wine will help smooth out the flavours and make the wine more palatable. This is especially important for sedimented wines.

You can stand the bottle upright for the most part of the day that you intend to serve the wine, so that the deposits settle to the bottom. When you unscrew the wine, pour it into a decanter in a slow continuous stream. When the sediment starts reaching the neck, stop pouring.

Says Ajit:

Decanters are crafted in a fashion to allow maximum oxygen interaction with the wine. Certain refreshing whites like Gruner Veltliner and Pinot Grigios have crisper aromas and will change rapidly if decanted.

But says Nikhil:

When decanting old wine it is important to make sure that the sediment in the bottle is not displaced. Also, the decanter must be clean and without aromas or stains of soap or anything else.

(A freelance food and fashion blogger, Pranjali Bhonde Pethe aims at getting people and their favourite food and style closer through her blog moipalate. Email her at [e-mail] and follow her on @moipalate.)