Which wines taste best chilled?

Is it necessary to chill red wines? How cold do we serve champagne? Based on the kind of wine, temperature can mute or emphasise different flavours. With this quick guide, you can drink at the perfect temperature in no time.

Like our little friends in the north pole, these wines love the cold. Chuck them in the coolest part of your fridge and take them just before serving.

White wines need a chill in order to reveal their delicate aromas and acidity. Wines that are lighter, fruitier or sweeter taste better when they are chilled, so leave them in the fridge for about 2 hours before drinking.

*Too cold and the flavour of whites become muted. 

Sparkling wines such as Champagne and Bruts should be kept in this range too, since chilled liquids retain bubbles better.

Reds like to hang out at these temperatures and depending on their bodies, they have different serving temperatures. Wines with lighter bodies and higher acidity, such as roses and pinot noirs, prefer to remain c o o l.

As cold as your air-conditioning, Bordeaux blends like to be slightly chilled, whereas fortified wines like vintage ports benefit from a bit of warmth to bring out their aromatics. (18-20°C)

*Too cold and the flavour of reds become muted. Too warm and the reds will taste dull and alcoholic. 

Room Temperature
In Singapore, it’s not advisable to drink wines at room temperature because 27°C (or more in the recent months) is not enjoyable.

Storing Wines
If you can afford to, get a wine chiller that usually stores wines around 12-13°C. Wines stored in the fridge might not mature over time, and storing them in your living room is a humidity nightmare, especially in Singapore's heat.

Chilling Wines in a Flash
Time is always your friend. Plan your (day)-drinking in advance and chill them bottles in advance. Unless you want to deal with icy glass explosions the next day, you should not freeze your bottles. Instead, fill your sink with water and ice- much safer and way easier to clean up.

You did not spend money to drink watered down wines so do us a favour, no ice in wines ok?