beginner · Wine School
Serving Wine
Temperature, glassware and decanting — the simple service choices that make wine taste its best.
Temperature transforms wine. Serve light whites and sparkling chilled (6–10°C), fuller whites and rosé cool (10–13°C), and reds at cool room temperature (15–18°C). A wine served too warm tastes flat and alcoholic; too cold and it shuts down.
Glassware matters more than most think. A large-bowled red glass lets aromas open; a narrower glass preserves a white's perfume; flutes keep sparkling's bubbles lively.
Decanting aerates young reds and separates aged wines from their sediment. A few minutes in the glass can do the same for most young wines.
Get the temperature right
When in doubt, serve red a touch cooler and white a touch warmer than you'd expect.
One skill at a time
Pour, swirl, and simply enjoy. Perfect service is about showing a wine at its best, not ceremony.