What Temperature Should Red Wine Be Served?

'Serve red wine at room temperature' dates from rooms that were a lot colder than ours. A modern kitchen at 72°F makes most reds taste soupy and alcoholic. The sweet spot for nearly every red is 55–65°F — cellar temperature — and a few degrees cooler still for light styles.

By style

Light, fruity reds — Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, Gamay, lighter Zinfandel — show best at 55–60°F, cool enough to feel refreshing. Medium-bodied reds such as Merlot, Chianti, Rioja and most red blends are happiest at 58–63°F. Full-bodied, tannic reds — Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah, Nebbiolo — want 60–65°F, where the tannin softens and the aromas open without the alcohol taking over.

Getting there

From a warm kitchen, fifteen to twenty minutes in the refrigerator brings a red down to cellar temperature; ten minutes in an ice-water bath does it faster. If the wine is too cold, cup the glass in your hands and it will warm in minutes. Young, tannic reds also benefit from twenty to thirty minutes in a decanter, which is a separate question from temperature but often asked in the same breath.

The serving guidance on each of our product pages gives the range for that specific wine when the producer or a critic has published one.