Is it ok to chill red wine? Will it taste stronger if you do?

Question

I chilled my red wine. Will it hurt it to let it go to room temp now?

Answer 1

No it'll be fine if you let it come to room temp. but you could also serve a red wine cocktail, red wine and lemonade, with the chilled wine.

Answer 2

I keep all of my good reds in a wine cooler set just above 55 degrees. I let them warm up a bit before drinking, but they taste the same if not better since they were not "cooked" by the warmer SoCal daytime summer temps. I think wine at modern room temp (75-80 degrees) is too warm and makes the wine seem more "alcoholy".

The other answer is right though. Serving at colder temps takes away flavor. I even drink whites closer to "room temp" so I can really get their flavor. That's why you should drink your cheap domestic beer as cold as possible - less of the nasty flavor.

Answer 3

Generally speaking the colder a drink the less taste it will have - If you serve a supermarket home brand cola cold enough it will taste just like Coke or Pepsi - So no, chilling red wine wont make it taste stronger, quite the opposite.
Chilled red wine served with ice does make a lovely summer drink. (don't tell that to the wine snobs though)

As for your additional question - no, changing the temperature of the wine wont make too much difference as long as it hasn't been uncorked and even then it wouldn't make much difference, just drink it and enjoy it and as long as you don't drink the whole bottle on your own then you shouldn't feel any side effects.

Answer 4

Completely agree with Joex444. You should be fine. i store mine at 54 degrees in the wine fridge, then bring it out about 20 - 30 min prior to consuming. I do store leftover open bottles in the fridge, then take it out about half hour before consuming. This is what most of the wine tenders in Napa Valley do at the end of the day.

Red Wine should actually be consumed in the low to mid 60 degree range, not room temp at 72. I think red wine tastes less strong and has less flavor when it is too cold.

Answer 5

10 to 12 celsius (50 to 55 F) is the optimal temperature for red wine storage.

Constant temp of 5 to 18 Celsius (40 to 65 F) is acceptable but not optimal.

So to answer your question, yes it is good to chill red wine and 10-18 °C is the best for consuming, not room temperature, Room temperature is a very loose measurement to go by.

Answer 6

Somewhere along the way people came to change "cellar temperature" to "room temperature." This isn't the same, the cellar temperature is what you should serve red wine at (as well as some Imperial Stouts and Porters), and this is below room temperature. Around 55F is best, as this is what cellar temperature would be before whole house heating was invented as we know it.

Easy to remember way: Put reds in the fridge 30 minutes before serving, take whites out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving. That is, keep your whites chilled and reds in the cupboard [anywhere dark and cool].

Answer 7

You can if want to even though red wine doesn't need to be refrigerated.Only the white wines and blush wines need to be refrigerated.Depending how it taste when it's chilled i would go with a lighter body fruity red wine like pinot noir,zinfandel or any other kind of red wine thats not to dry.

Answer 8

Wine experts (and producers) say that red wine should be consumed at room temperature. The point is, what IS room temperature. This notion arose from the time when French, Italian, Spanish etc. nobility drank wine in their castles. Room temperature in their castles/homes used to be 15-18C. Nowadays, houses are warmer. If you try to drink red wine today, especially in summer, and in warm countries, it will taste like urine (please excuse the expression).
Therefore, there is nothing wrong with chilling your red wine down to 16C. But, do not try to overchill it, as this would impair the flavor. Whenever I am in a Mediterranean country in summer, I chill my red wine a bit before drinking it. Room temperature down there could be anything around 30C!!! In winter it's quite perfect to drink it straight from your cupboard/storage etc.

Answer 9

Red wine tastes better room temp. If you served me cold wine, I could choke it down with no complaints.

Answer 10

Only chill white wine..red wine should be served at room temperature...you can chill it to preserve it if you aren't drinking it right away...however, let it sit at room temp for a while before drinking or serving it.