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+--- Thread: Best drinking temperature for reds? (/thread-1011.html)
- sbuchanan - 04-18-2000
Anyone interested is providing a littler tuturing on this topic? We are just venturing beyond champagnes and white wines and have found we like several reds such as merlot, syrah, and shiraz. We are unsure as to the proper way to store (short term) and serve these wines. Cold or room temp? Should they be allowed to breath for a time before serving? Any help greatly appreciated!!
- mrdutton - 04-18-2000
There has been a lot of discussion here on the subject of temperature, and to-breath or not-to-breath and even to-decant or not-to-decant.
I'll try for the brief answers. If you search some of the other posts, maybe in the Novice section, you might run across some additional discussion.
Short-term storage can be accomplished in a cool, dark area with the bottle resting on its side. This keeps the cork damp and expanded in the bottle which prevents oxygen intake into the bottle.
Long term storage should be accomplished by keeping the wine at about 55 degrees F. in a dark, fairly humid area. The wine should be resting on its side, in order to keep the cork moist.
Temperature for drinking reds should be room temperature - but don't let that deceive you. By room temperature I mean room temperature by European standards. Therefore, drink your reds at about 65 degrees F. If you are drinking a beaujolais, they can stand another 5 or so degrees cooler, say around 58 to 60 degrees F. Some folks might even suggest around 55 degrees F.
If the bottle of red has shoulders, then you might want to let it breath for a while. Especially if the wine is young. You could also consider vigorously decanting the wine which allows it to be exposed to more oxygen than if you just pop the cork. This helps mellow out the wine somewhat.
If the bottle of red with shoulders is more than 5 to 8 years old, you may want to decant it a bit more carefully so you can separate the wine from the sediment. Allow the bottle to sit up-right for a day or so before you plan on opening it.
For a very old, fine red you will want to allow it to sit up-right for a couple of days before you open it. Then decant it very carefully and drink it straight-away without allowing it to breath too much more; since further oxygen exposure will start to break the wine down and make it tired.
Hope this helps!
[This message has been edited by mrdutton (edited 04-18-2000).]