To Chill or Not to Chill: That is the Question

To chill or not to chill? Isn’t that always the question. Determining the correct temperature to serve wine can be a difficult task, and it can make or break a vino experience. I almost cast aside what ended up being a delicious bottle the other day because of a chilling situation. Thankfully, a little patience, which I don’t usually have, and experimentation saved me from making a big mistake.

               According to the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, the correct temperature for the various wine styles are as follows: sweet wines should be well chilled at 43 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit, sparkling wines between 43 and 50, light to medium bodied whites and all rosés 45 to 50, full bodied whites 50 to 55, light bodied reds 55 to 64, and medium and full-bodied reds between 59 and 64 degrees. However, personal taste is always to be taken into consideration, as a trip to New Mexico taught me when I visited a winery that chilled everything, and I mean everything, from fruity whites to dry Zinfandels. For me, I store my whites, rosés, champagnes, and sweeties in a wine cooler set at 46 degrees Fahrenheit, and my reds in one set at 64. This has worked well for my palate, though every once in a while, an outlier sneaks up on me.

               South Dakota has been on my mind lately, so it just seemed right that a bottle from this magnificent state would be my next to enjoy. I chose the Schade Vineyards and Winery Deadwood Aces and Eights Red Table Wine. Purchased as a novelty bottle the last time we were there, as I loved the label and that it said Deadwood, I knew nothing about it except that the words “Red Table Wine” and “Semi-Dry” were both on the label. This caused a problem, as it could technically go in either chiller. The “red table wine” line indicated it should go in the one set at 64 degrees, but the “semi-dry” hinted of a slight sweetness, so it should be chilled like other lighter wines. I was truly torn, but in the end, I chose to store it with the other reds, as it just made the most sense to me. Boy did I make the wrong decision.

               As I sat down to enjoy my first glass from this bottle, I was jolted by the grape aroma. Concerned, as all other wines I had experienced with such a strong grape note had been served cold, I took a sip and was greeted with more grape, sticky red licorice, and a slightly off-putting herbal note. Taste after taste, I mulled over the wine. It was certainly not my favorite, but it wasn’t exhibiting notes of a wine past its prime, and it had some hidden potential I couldn’t quite tease out. I wasn’t ready to give up on it, but something had to change if I was going to ever finish this bottle. Still considering that grape note, I decided to switch it to the chiller set for whites and rosés and see what would happen.

               A couple of days later, as I prepared for my FAB – Friday Afternoon Bath – that I consider my educational hour as I always read a wine book while partaking in this relaxing ritual, I decided to give this unique red blend another go. I poured a glass, took a deep breath, and began my analysis. This time, tart pie cherry joined the grape on the nose, giving it a pleasant and fruity aroma. As I sipped and swirled, I was greeted with pie cherry, blackberries, a nice and subtle licorice spice, and the tiniest hint of that grape note. The coursing acidity made the fruit and licorice taste refreshing, and it had magically become the best bath time wine. I was so glad I had not just dumped this red after the failed first glass.

               The annoying and wonderful thing about wine is that there are no hard and fast rules. A bottle of wine is a work of art, and each one wants its story told in its own way. Along with that, everyone’s palate is so different, and all of the wine experts have varying ideologies on how a wine should be served, be it the temperature of the wine, the glass used, how long it should breathe, etc. This can make the whole experience rather daunting.  What my little adventure taught me is that using the basic guidelines is a nice starting point, but I should never be scared to experiment. I would have missed out on a very nice bottle of wine if I hadn’t taken this opportunity to try new things. The next time you have a red wine that just isn’t doing it for you, try giving it a little chill. The next time you have a Chardonnay that seems to have a muted taste, try letting it naturally rise to room temperature and give it another go. You just may find a new favorite way to drink wine.