There were plenty of times before I got serious about wine when I’d open up a carefully chosen bottle, take a sniff and a sip and feel let down when it wasn’t reminiscent of the reviews I’d read.
Just where were those nectarine scents in the chardonnay, or that hint of liquorice in the shiraz? I had decanted the wine and poured it into a glass suited to the style of wine, but something was missing.
It turns out I wasn’t serving wine at its optimum temperature.
More often than not, we drink our whites too cold and our reds too warm. Serve a white wine too cold and its aromas will be dull and it will seem more acidic.
It’s similar when a red’s too cold, but you’ll also get a whack of tannins. If you’re drinking a big red wine you’ll notice the alcohol when served too warm. The best temperature to serve whites is around 12C, for reds it’s 17C.
Unless you’re lucky enough to have a temperature-controlled wine refrigerator, your home fridge is set anywhere between 2C and 4C, which is way lower than you should drink any white wine (even sparkling); and if you don’t sit around in winter with the heater off, wearing a beanie and scarf, your ambient room temperature will be too warm to serve reds.
You don’t have to be too scientific about it. Simply pop your reds in the fridge for a while before serving. If you’ve been chilling your whites, take the bottle out a few minutes before you pour the wine.
There’s no need to get out the thermometer and wait for the right moment to serve your wine. I’ve put together a list of wines and a guide to the best serving temperatures. Cut it out and pop it on your fridge. You won’t look back.
Serving temperature (degrees C) and time in fridge to reach optimum temperature*
Sparkling whites: 6-8 - Over four hours
Riesling, sav blanc, pinot grigio/gris: 8-12 - 2 1/2 hours
Chardonnay: 10-14 - Two hours
Sparkling reds, rose: 10-12 - Two hours
Pinot noir: 14-17 - 45 minutes
Shiraz, cabernet and their blends: 15-18 - 30 minutes, longer in summer
* Please note that these times are approximate as ambient room and fridge temperatures can vary.
TASTINGS \ DRINK THIS
For the Cellar
De Bortoli Melba Mimi (Yarra Valley)
$28; 13.5% a/v
5/5
Food match: Roast loin of lamb
De Bortoli’s Melba range pays tribute to one of the Yarra Valley’s more famous former residents, Dame Nellie Melba. This is named after one of Melba’s performances from the opera La Boheme. It is a mix of cabernet, shiraz and nebbiolo, but the key attributes are those of cabernet with the support cast adding a rich harmony. With a lovely leafy, blackcurrant and chocolate aroma, it is medium-bodied with savoury and blackcurrant flavours, good length and excellent grainy tannins. Stored well, this should be rewarding for up to 10 years.
Tyrells Rufus Stone Shiraz 2008 (Heathcote)
$14-$20; 14% a/v
4/5
Food match: Chinese barbecue pork
This is one of two Rufus Stone wines on the market (the other is from McLaren Vale) and it shows all the traits that makes Heathcote such a good region for Shiraz. It smells of dark cherries and blackberries with a hint of clove and liquorice. It’s rich and full of flavour with red berries, with a lovely spiciness and fine-grained tannins. It’s a top wine at $20 but this is often discounted heavily at the major chains so keep an eye out for it.
Wickhams Road Chardonnay 2009 (Yarra Valley)
$15; 13.5% a/v
4½/5
Food match: Leek and potato soup
Made by the team that produces the excellent Hoddles Creek range of wines, this is the label for wines grown outside their Yarra Valley estate. Subtle, clean flavours define this wine. It smells of nectarine and grapefruit with a nuttiness in the background; it has subtle oak along with peach and savoury flavours. It’s not exaggerated, but there’s loads of complexity here for $15. Look out for the Wickhams Road 2009 Gippsland Chardonnay, which has also been getting favourable reviews.
Opera Blanc de Blanc NV (France)
$17; 10.5% a/v
3/5
Food match: Canapes
This is the third best-selling sparkling in France and for just $17 it’s pretty keen value. I’m a sucker for blanc de blanc bubbles, although preferably with grand cru status, which is made using only white grapes and primarily chardonnay. This smells like fresh brioche and stone fruits. It is dry with good acidity (the key to good sparkling) with lemon flavours and macadamia nut undertones.
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Toscar Monastrell 2007 (Alicante, Spain)
$15; 14.9% a/v
4/5
Food match: Oxtail stew and chips Tag: Spanish beauty
Monastrell, mouvedre, mataro – whatever you wish to call it – is a grape usually blended with other reds to add backbone, but is fast becoming popular as a single variety. I loved the previous vintage of this and bought loads of it to drink in the cooler months last year. This release, I’m pleased to say, is just as good. It’s a rustic, charming wine that smells of figs and plums with some dried herbs and game aromas. It is medium bodied with strong tannins, and tastes of plums and red berries. There’s good length, too, and it is strong enough to stand up to rich winter dishes.\