Should lighter red wines be served chilled?

Question

I know that white wines are usually served chilled and drier or full-bodied reds are served at room temperature. For an upcoming gathering I'll be serving some lighter, sweeter reds (one is called a "red moscato", for example), alongside whites and other reds. At what temperature should I serve them? If chilled, would the same temperature as for whites (like rieslings) be suitable?

Answer 1

"Wine experts advise that white wines be served at 45 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit, light reds at about 60 degrees and more complex reds at "room temperature" or 65 to 70 degrees. [Remember, the phrase "room temperature" predates the days of central heat and air conditioning, so it generally refers to the "cellar" temperature of an earlier era.]

Chilling helps preserve and highlight fresh, fruity flavors of varieties like Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer. Chardonnay, on the other hand, though white, is more complex, is fermented and aged in oak barrels and thus is usually served at the upper end of the 'white' scale.

Full-bodied Cabernets should be served in the 70 degree range. The warmer temperature allows the complexity of intense reds to come through as they are swirled, sipped and savored. Lighter reds like chambourcin or merlot are less complex, so are best appreciated just slightly chilled. Full-bodied Cabernets should be served in the 70 degree range. The warmer temperature allows the complexity of intense reds to come through as they are swirled, sipped and savored.

In planning a festive gathering, consider several ways to attain the "correct" wine temperature. Refrigeration will decrease a bottle's temperature 4 to 5 degrees each half hour in the first 60-90 minutes. After that, temperatures will drop 2-3 degrees per half hour. Riesling should be chilled for 4 or 5 hours, a chardonnay for 1-2 hours, merlot for an hour and cabernets for a half hour or less. If time is short, a freezer will drop the temperature about 6-8 degrees every fifteen minutes. However, it is best to set a kitchen timer in the event the party is so festive that you forget and find a broken bottle of very fine wine in your freezer the next morning."

Sweet Moscato and Moscato d'Asti wines are very good served chilled on their own as a refreshing summertime wine.

Answer 2

Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and sweet wines like Moscato are best served after 20 minutes after pulling from the refrigerator

So keep the wine chilled and remove and let it stand before serving

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