When in doubt, store and serve your wine with a bit of a chill, whether red or white.
We all know that white wines are best served chilled, but a lesser-known fact is that a slight chill on a red in the summer, or if your home is kept at a cozy 70+ degrees, will do wonders for the wine. We’re talking 30 minutes to an hour in the fridge. This will bring it to the room temperature of a well-kept wine cellar, or around 55-60 degrees.
A slight chill can help tame the alcohol, bring out the flavors of the wine, and “tighten” up the structure. If it’s too cold, the tannins might feel too prominent, but if this happens the red should warm up quickly, anyway—and that is a much better outcome than a hot wine, which causes negative change of flavor, aroma, and even color. Unless you’re drinking mulled wine, keep it chill, baby!
