So at what temperature should you enjoy your favorite wine?  As depicted in the diagram, it depends on what type of wine it is.  But also heavily factored is how you prefer it.  Just as what kind of wine you like, and what food you pair it with, the temperature of the wine is a personal preference, but a little guidance may help.  Most wine is consumed either too cold which masks the taste (in the case of white wine) or too warm (in the case of red).  Why?  Because most of the time we pull a bottle of white out of the refrigerator or a bottle of red off the wine rack in the dining room.

Ideally, both are kept in a wine cellar or other temperature-controlled environment at a temperature of 55 degrees.  White wine could then be pulled from the cellar, opened, and drank immediately.  Red wine could also be pulled out of the cellar, opened to breathe, poured into a larger glass (warmed by the hands), and drank.

Another factor to consider is whether or not you are eating food with it, and if so, what is the temperature of that food?  If the wine is closer in temperature to the food temperature, there is better exchange of flavors. I don’t mean to suggest your wine should be as hot as your soup!  But a white wine could go a little cooler with a salad and a little warmer with a crab cake.

It also depends on the weather.  A refreshing cool wine (white or red) hits the spot on a sunny day, while a warmer wine by the fire on a winter night is just right!