Temperature
Biggest mistake most often made? Drinking reds too warm and whites too cold. Drives us crazy so I thought I would share some thoughts on getting the temp right. Jancis Robinson's research is that to get the most flavor out of any wine, no matter red, white, or rose, your target range should be 60 - 65°F. That's nice and all, but sometimes we like our wines to be refreshing. So, the real question becomes which wines can you chill without killing its flavor? It's not simply whether it is white or red.
A wine's body (not its color) will dictate whether its flavor will survive being chilled. The more body the wine has, the warmer it needs to be to fully yield its aroma and flavor. Since whites tend to be lighter bodied than reds, chilling whites has become the convention. This generally works. Just know that you'll want your full bodied Chardonnays, Viogniers, Semillons, big white Burgundies, white Rhones, and those whites (i.e., Musar) from warmer climes to be warmer. On the other hand, lighter bodied reds as a simple Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, red Loire wines, many early maturing red Burgundies and northern Italians can be really nice if you chill them slightly.
So, where does that leave us? Let's start with keeping your cellar at 50°F. Then you can drink your lighter bodied whites, roses and some reds from a temperature range of 50 - 55°F. For your fuller bodied reds and whites, let the temperature creep into the 60 - 65°F range. This works well because whites can drunk from this temperature and reds can be quickly warmed by cradling in your glass. And by all means, if you want to chill below 50°F for a more refreshing experience, say for Champagne, go for it! You can put in the fridge for 60 minutes.
A wine's body (not its color) will dictate whether its flavor will survive being chilled. The more body the wine has, the warmer it needs to be to fully yield its aroma and flavor. Since whites tend to be lighter bodied than reds, chilling whites has become the convention. This generally works. Just know that you'll want your full bodied Chardonnays, Viogniers, Semillons, big white Burgundies, white Rhones, and those whites (i.e., Musar) from warmer climes to be warmer. On the other hand, lighter bodied reds as a simple Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, red Loire wines, many early maturing red Burgundies and northern Italians can be really nice if you chill them slightly.
So, where does that leave us? Let's start with keeping your cellar at 50°F. Then you can drink your lighter bodied whites, roses and some reds from a temperature range of 50 - 55°F. For your fuller bodied reds and whites, let the temperature creep into the 60 - 65°F range. This works well because whites can drunk from this temperature and reds can be quickly warmed by cradling in your glass. And by all means, if you want to chill below 50°F for a more refreshing experience, say for Champagne, go for it! You can put in the fridge for 60 minutes.