What temperature is the best for storing/serving white wine?
I was reminded of this question as I was tasting this week’s Wine Wednesday
feature the 2015 Barons de Rothschild (Lefite) Sélection Prestige White
Bordeaux.
On Monday night my husband got home before I did and poured
a glass that was waiting for me when I arrived. On the nose prominent minerality
and subtle floral notes. It had a nice round mouthfeel leaning toward a medium
bodied wine with a fresh crisp finish with lingering citrus notes.
White Bordeaux are generally a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.
Sometimes there is Muscadelle and small amounts of other varietals as part of
the blend. This wine is 55% Sauvignon Blanc and 45% Sémillon. On Monday night I
enjoyed the best of both varietals. The Sémillon providing the body and
the floral notes and the Sauvignon Blanc, the crisp finish with citrus notes.
On Tuesday night, it was another story. You see, my husband
put the unfinished bottle in the refrigerator on Monday night. When I got home Tuesday evening,
the wine had seemingly lost its floral notes and only minerality lingered on
the tongue. The mouthfeel had lost its
body. Had the wine gone bad? No, I just
wished my husband had put it in the wine fridge where the temps for white wine
are set at about 50 degrees.
Depending on the wine, the optimum serving temperature can
vary. In fact, you may notice that same labels indicate the winemakers’
recommendation for serving temperature. Most refrigerators are set between 35 –
40 degrees Fahrenheit which in my opinion is too cold for wine. The cold
temperatures mask the nuances and in a sense the wine seems locked and bland. Often,
white wines that are of less quality are served extra cold to mask their shortcomings. Thankfully, allowing the wine to warm a bit brought the wine back to
life and allowed us to enjoy it with Clams alla Puttanesca (use some in the recipe). Click
the link below to print or save the recipe.
