Drinks · fermented
Wine — temperature changes more than price
Two identical bottles, one too warm and one at the right temperature, taste like two different wines. Before you start looking for something dearer, try the same wine at the right temperature from the right glass — the difference is bigger than most people expect.
Serving temperatures
- Light white and rosé
- 8–10 °C
- Full-bodied white
- 10–12 °C
- Light red
- 12–14 °C
- Full-bodied red
- 16–18 °C
- Sweet and fortified
- 6–8 °C
- Open bottle in the fridge
- 2–5 days, corked
«Room temperature» for red comes from an age when a room was 16 °C. Red at 22 °C tastes of alcohol and bitterness — half an hour in the fridge fixes it.
Three colours and where they come from
Colour comes from the skins, not the juice. Most red grapes have clear juice; red wine happens when the juice ferments together with the skins. Rosé comes from shorter contact, white usually from none.
The skins also bring tannin — that drying grip on the gums. Tannin is the backbone of red wine and the reason it copes so well with fatty food.
Acidity is what keeps wine fresh. Cool-climate wines are more acidic and lighter, warm ones riper and stronger — which is why southern European reds are often 14% vol and German whites 11%.
Grapes whose names are on the bottle
Six names cover most of the shelf.
Strong tannin, blackcurrant, tobacco. Red meat, grilled food, hard cheese.
Softer, plummy, less tannin. A good introduction to red wine.
Light and acidic, strawberry and mushroom. Good with fish and mushrooms; serve cooler at 12–14 °C.
Either fresh and mineral or oaked and creamy. The label does not always say which — look for a mention of oak.
Sharp, grassy, blackcurrant leaf. Goat cheese, salads, seafood.
From dry to sweet, always acidic and aromatic. The safest choice with spicy Asian food.
Getting the bottle to the table
Four steps that need no sommelier.
Chill it properly
White: two hours in the fridge. Red: half an hour. Faster: ice water in a bucket for ten minutes.
Pour a third of the glass
The empty space is for the aroma. A glass filled to the rim cannot breathe.
Give it air
A young tannic red softens within 20 minutes. A decanter speeds it up, but swirling the glass works too.
Cork it and refrigerate
An open bottle keeps 2–5 days, red included — in the fridge, not on the table. Take it out half an hour before serving.
What goes with what
One simple rule works: similar weight. Light wine with light food, full-bodied with rich. A second rule: acidity cuts fat — which is why a crisp white belongs with cream sauce and fried fish.
The safest pairings: red meat with Cabernet, fish with Sauvignon Blanc, chicken with Chardonnay, spicy food with off-dry Riesling, cheese with sweet wine. Chocolate is hard — fortified wine copes, dry red does not.
Common questions
How long does an open bottle of wine last?
Corked in the fridge, 2–5 days. A vacuum stopper adds a couple of days. Sparkling loses its bubbles faster, in about a day.
Can red wine be chilled?
It can and should be. 22 °C is too warm; 16–18 °C is right, and half an hour in the fridge gets you there.
Does the cork have to be natural?
It makes no difference to quality. A screw cap keeps wine fresh and removes the risk of cork taint.
Why does wine hit harder than beer?
It is roughly three times stronger: 13% vol against 4.5% vol. A glass of wine is about 1.4 units, half a litre of beer about 1.8.