Tips on the best temperature to drink wine

Carly Merrett

Kiss of wine

Red, white and sparkling: What is the best temperature to drink wine?


If you’re like most people, not much thought goes into what is the best temperature to drink wine. So, you might be surprised to know that there are actually rules for how cold or warm it should be before opening. And, yes, it’s more sophisticated than ‘red should be warm’ and ‘white should be cold’. 


Read on to get our tips and tricks for chilling wine so that you get the most out of your wines this festive season and beyond!


Wine temperature - The basics

The Basics

Optimum wine temperature ensures you capture wine’s full expression. Whether it be the earthy notes and dark fruits of a dolcetto or the crisp and zesty fruits of a riesling, the right serving temperature ensures full flavours and aromas. 

Note: Throughout this article, we’re assuming your fridge is set to approximately 5°C or your freezer at an average temperate of -15°C, which is the typical average temperature. 
Wine temperature - Red

Red Wine

The ideal drinking temperature for red wine is between 12˚C and 18˚C. Otherwise, just below room temperature. 

You’re correct in assuming red wine is to be drunk warmer than white. However, that’s not to say that it should be at room temperature (which is about 20°C, by the way). In fact, it should be a little bit cooler. 

That’s about 20 minutes in the fridge from room temperature!

Tip: Keep that lower temperature for your lighter reds and the higher end for your full-bodied ones.

To learn more about chilling red wine, read our blog about it here. 
Wine temperature - white

White wine

The ideal drinking temperature for white wine is between 8˚C and 12˚C. Otherwise, just above fridge temperature.

Cooler temperatures are better for white wine so you can capture the more delicate fruity flavours.

That’s about 45 minutes in the fridge or 20 minutes in the freezer from room temperature.
Wine temperature - sparkling

Sparkling Wine

The ideal drinking temperature for sparkling wine is between 3˚C and 7˚C. Otherwise, about refrigerator temperature or slightly below, so allow a good 45 minutes in the fridge. 

Pop it in the freezer for ten minutes afterwards if you really want it ice cold.

So there you have it! While individual wine styles have their own ideal serving temperature, here we have included good rules of thumb so you can at least get the main styles right. It doesn’t have to be so difficult so we hope this quick guide gives you a good sense of how long you should put your favourite styles of wine in the fridge for!

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