Don’t underestimate the effect temperature can have on wine, connoisseurs stress.
In her new book “24-Hour Wine Expert,” British wine critic Jancis Robinson says temperature is actually “the second most important ingredient” in a glass of wine. The first, of course, is the wine itself.
“You can make a wine taste much better, and much worse, by adjusting its temperature,” she writes in her book.
Most people know to chill a white wine. But Robinson says some red wines can also benefit from cooling action. She recommends keeping your unfinished bottle of red in the fridge, where you can slow its deterioration (since heat speeds up oxidation).
Just remember to let it sit before serving a bottle. Robinson writes that it’s usually enough to leave the bottle at room temperature for an hour or so.
And don’t leave any bottle in there for more than a few days, she warns, or it’ll go bad.
Certain unopened reds — specifically the light-bodied ones like Beaujolais that have less than 13 per cent alcohol — are better served cooler, according to Robinson.
Whites that are more full-bodied (like hefty Chardonnays and Rhônes) should be served a bit warmer, she adds.
“Probably the biggest mistake that’s made is serving red wine too warm and white wine too cold,” echoes Edmonton wine expert Gurvinder Bhatia.
If a red wine is served too warm the alcohol taste will come through, he explains, and it’ll come across as flat.
“If you serve a white wine too cold, you mute all the flavours and won’t get the full character of the wine.”
Robinson adds that you also run the risk of depriving yourself of its lovely smell if a wine is too cold.
“Certain grape varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling are naturally more aromatic than others, so you can afford to chill them a little more than, say, Chardonnay and other members of the greater Pinot family which are intrinsically not particularly smelly.”
Bhatia believes sparkling wine is the only wine that should be served ice cold.
So the next time you’re given an ice bucket for your already-chilled white at a restaurant, Bhatia advises keeping your bottle on the table.
It’s your bottle of red, he says, that might need an ice bucket if it’s too warm.
His other piece of wine advice: If your leftover wine smells like it’s gone bad (you’ll be able to tell from the vinegary smell), don’t cook with it.
WATCH: More wine tips from Gurvinder Bhatia
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