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Summer
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| Temperature: Don't Underestimate it | ||
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Most of us have been through the experience of a much-lauded wine not living up to its formidible reputation in a taste test. Here's a common scenario. Friend arrives for dinner party with bitterly cold bottle of top shelf wooded chardonnay. Eager guests pull the cork and prepare to enjoy the venerable drop and to lather it in well practiced pre-dinner praise. But they are hopelessly disappointed because the wine tastes plain, tart and unusually tight and limited. The gathering searches the air for some positive aspects, but few are forthcoming. Talk turns to the weather. Brave guest finally announces, "I think the '94 had more depth." The guest is wrong. Actually the wine they are drinking was the best vintage every produced by the label. But the damn thing was too cold! |
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That particular style of wine should have been served at cellar temperature (12-14C), which is barely below room temperature. On the other hand sparkling and unwooded or aromatic whites can support a bit more chill at about 6-8C. Basically, the bottle should be cold to the touch but not encased in ice. This allows the delicate flavour components to pervade the bouquet at the right levels, increasing gently as the wine grows warmer. Dessert wines, however, can be served a little warmer still, say 8-10C. Where the reds are concerned, the lighter-bodied styles are best drunk at near cellar temperature, say 13-15C. This will allow for the steady, but controlled release of aromas and nuances on the palate. Big, full bodied reds such as cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, merlot and zinfandel, will always taste softer and more completely rounded when allowed to warm to room temperature.
The moral of the tale is that drinking temperature is enormously
important. Many an excellent bottle has been drunk at about half
its potential because the eager participants couldn't wait to get
stuck into it. Patience is a virtue if you are truly serious about
extracting the most from a wine.
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