Whether you run a busy restaurant or are an avid home entertainer, everyone finds themselves serving a nice bottle or glass of wine at some point. But how do you know if your wine is being served at the right temperature? While most people have a general idea of how it is done—whites tend to be chilled, while reds are usually better around room temperature—the intricacies of wine temperature remain a mystery for many, even those in the restaurant business. Here are a few tips to familiarize yourself with regarding wine serving temperature, from your expert in commercial refrigeration in Eugene, OR:

• Sparkling wine: Sparkling wine includes Champagne, Prosecco, Cremant and any other wine with noticeable carbonation. These wines need to be served ice cold, meaning that they should be transported directly from the refrigerator to the table—it’s best to even keep them on ice then, which is why most restaurants and bars serve sparkling wine in ice buckets. Whatever you do, don’t serve a sparkling wine at a temperature higher than 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
• White wine: White wine ranges in style a lot, from Pinot Grigio to Riesling, but they all ideally need to be served at somewhere between 44 and 57 degrees Fahrenheit. However, there is some room to play around with: light, fruity whites are better at the lower end of that temperature spectrum, while oaky whites are better when served a bit on the warm side.
• Light reds: A “light red” is any red wine that is more on the fruity or pale end of the red wine spectrum (common examples include Zinfandel, Pinot Noir and Burgundy). These wines should be served just a notch warmer than their white counterparts; ideally, a light red will be served at somewhere between 44 and 57 degrees Fahrenheit. If you put your light red into the fridge about half an hour before serving, it should be just right.
• Rich reds: Rich reds are deeper, and tend to have a higher tannin presence. This category includes Merlot, Chianti, Bordeaux, Cabernet and Shiraz, among others. These wines can be served virtually at room temperature, ideally between 63 and 69 degrees Fahrenheit. The higher the tannin count, the closer to the warm end of the spectrum the wine ought to be.
• Quality matters: Ideally, we would never serve our guests anything less than excellent, but occasionally someone might bring a subpar bottle and the only polite thing to do is serve it. If you are serving a wine that is of lower quality, the above rules do not apply quite as much. Keep in mind that the cooler a wine is, the less intense the taste may be, so even a cheap Merlot might be better off left in the fridge for a few hours.

If you are interested in learning more about ideal wine temperatures, or would like to buy new chilling equipment for your wine, please feel free to get in touch with American Refrigeration Inc, your experts when it comes to commercial refrigeration Eugene, OR.