A Wine's Serving Temperature: a Matter of Life and Death?
- Posted on
- By Grace Verellen, editor at large QelviQ
- Posted in cabernet sauvignon, ideal serving temperature, room temperature
I’m sorry to have misled you, drinking a wine at the wrong temperature is not life endangering whatsoever. But now that I’ve got your attention, I do want to make a point. Imagine you’re flying a little airplane on your own. You’re flying across a huge ocean and there’s no land to be seen. Suddenly your plane malfunctions and you crash in the ocean. Spoiler alert: you’re going to die.
But the tempo you’re going to die at all depends on the temperature of the water. If the water is 41°F, your body will lose all its vital functions in 30 to 90 minutes. If the water is 50°F, your chances at survival are slim unless someone saves you in 60 to 360 minutes time. Now if you’re lucky and you crash in an ocean that has a temperature of 68°F, there is a chance at survival! (At least if someone finds you before you get eaten by a shark or starve to death).
Now if temperature matters in a situation like that, why shouldn’t it matter to wine? Let’s say you bought a beautiful red wine in France and you want to drink it next time your parents-in-law come for dinner (let’s be honest the only way you’ll survive that evening is by drinking a delicious glass of red wine… or 3.) You’ve stored the bottle in your storage room or wine cabinet at a room temperature of 74°F. Now depending on the grape, the serving temperature of a red wine can vary between 57°F and 66°F. Now if you bought a Cabernet Sauvignon and you’re drinking it at room temperature, you’re off 11°F because you’re supposed to drink a Cabernet Sauvignon at 63°F.
You don’t really think about it but a 11°F difference changes the whole taste of your wine, as that same difference also affects your life when you’re in water. So next time you decide to open a nice bottle of wine, think twice about how you’ll serve it.
Ideal serving Temperatures Red Wine Grapes
Ideal serving Temperature White Wine Grapes