SUB-ZERO WINE BLOG

One of my friends wrote an article several years ago and the idea was so wonderful I wish I’d thought of it. He walked into some of New York’s finest restaurants armed with a thermometer in his breast pocket. He ordered wines by the glass then took the temperatures of each wine. What he found was unconscionable – in every instance the service temperature of the wine was too high. If people could experience the right temperatures of wines, they’d understand that in most cases they’re served incorrectly. It’s as just as bad as having your spaghetti served cold and your sushi served cooked. I’ll serve a wine to people separated by a mere 5 degrees in temperature and it will be a completely different taste experience. Serving at the correct temperature is a very simple thing you can do that will completely impact your enjoyment of wine. Wine should be served at a temperature that’s not only going to flatter the wine, but also give you pleasure. And in general, the lighter the wine, be it red or white, the cooler you can serve it. But the better the wine, you really want to serve it at more of a classic cellar temperature. I regularly will serve a great white wine, whether it’s Burgundy or a White Rhone, at the same temperature I’ll serve a great Red Bordeaux – 63 degrees. I’ll decant it because I really want to unlock the complexities. When in doubt, err on the side of the wine being a little bit cooler because obviously it’s going to warm up. And the difference a few degrees make. About six months ago I had the same wine in two different cities. In one city I paid $41 for it, in the other I paid $57. Which bottle was the better value? The more expensive one, because it was served at the right temperature. By serving at the right temperature, a restaurant adds value to a wine.