We have researched the most authoritative resources on wines and their optimal serving temperatures, and combined the various data points into this comprehensive listing of over 100 wines. Enjoy!
Optimal wine serving temperature chart
Category | Type | Specific regions/ examples | °F / °C |
---|---|---|---|
Champagne / Sparkling | Asti | 43° / 6° | |
Champagne / Sparkling | Inexpensive | 41° / 5° | |
Champagne / Sparkling | Better non-vintage | 45° / 7° | |
Champagne / Sparkling | Best vintages | 47° / 8° | |
White (Sweet, Semi-Sweet) | Anjou | 43° / 6° | |
White (Sweet, Semi-Sweet) | Canadian ice wine | 50° / 10° | |
White (Sweet, Semi-Sweet) | Dessert wines (younger) | 49° / 9° | |
White (Sweet, Semi-Sweet) | German semisweet wines | QbA (Qualitätswein Bestimmter Anbaugebiet), Mosel Kabinett and Spätlese, and Auslese | 50° / 10° |
White (Sweet, Semi-Sweet) | German sweet wines (older) | Auslese, Beerenauslese, Eisewein, and Trockenberrenauslese | 52° / 11° |
White (Sweet, Semi-Sweet) | Sauternes (younger) | 50° / 10° | |
White (Sweet, Semi-Sweet) | Sauternes (older) | 53° / 11° | |
White (Sweet, Semi-Sweet) | Tokaji Aszú (Tokay) | 50° / 10° | |
White (Sweet, Semi-Sweet) | Vouvray | 46° / 7° | |
White (Sweet, Semi-Sweet) | Zinfandel | 44° / 6° | |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | Bordeaux - medium quality | 43° / 6° | |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | Bordeaux - premium quality | like those from Graves | 48° / 8° |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | Burgundy - medium quality | 48° / 8° | |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | Burgundy - premium quality | 52° / 11° | |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | Chablis | 46° / 7° | |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | Chardonnay - unoaked | 43° / 6° | |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | Chardonnay - medium quality | 48° / 8° | |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | Chardonnay - premium quality | 53° / 11° | |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | Chenin Blanc | 46° / 7° | |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | German, medium quality, nonsweet | 46° / 7° | |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | German, premium quality, nonsweet | Trocken or Halbtrocken | 51° / 10° |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | Gewürztraminer | U.S. and Alsatian | 48° / 8° |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | Grüner Veltliner | 41° / 5° | |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | Italian whites | Frascati, Galestro, Orvieto, Soave, Trebbiano, d'abruzzo, Verdicchio Dei Catellidi di Jesi | 45° / 7° |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | Italian whites | Gavi, good northeastern Italian whites | 48° / 8° |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | Melon de Bourgogne | 46° / 7° | |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | Muscadet | 44° / 6° | |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | Pessac-Léognan | 50° / 10° | |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | Pinot Blanc | 47° / 8° | |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio | 48° / 8° | |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | Pouilly-Fuissé | 46° / 7° | |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | Pouilly-Fumé | 46° / 7° | |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | Rhône (northern) | 51° / 10° | |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | Rhône (southern) | 48° / 8° | |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | Riesling | most Austrian, Australian, German | 46° / 7° |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | Rioja, white - oaked | 50° / 10° | |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | Rioja, white - unoaked | 43° / 6° | |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | Sancerre | 46° / 7° | |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | Sauvignon Blanc | New York State, Chilean and New Zealand | 46° / 7° |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | Sauvignon Blanc | except New York State, Chilean and New Zealand | 44° /6° |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | Savenniers | 46° / 7° | |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | Sémillon | 48° / 8° | |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | Spanish and Portutguese whites (young) | 42° / 5° | |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | Swiss Chasselas | 42° / 5° | |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | Vigonier | 52° / 11° | |
White (Dry, Off-Dry) | Vinho Verde | 42° / 5° | |
Rosé and Blush | Inexpensive Rosés | 41° / 5° | |
Rosé and Blush | Most Rosé and Blush Wines | 43° / 6° | |
Rosé and Blush | High-quality Cabernet and Grenache Rosé | 46° / 7° | |
Rosé and Blush | High-quality dry Rosé | 46° / 7° | |
Red Wines | Aglianico wines from southern Italy | Taurasi and Aglianico Del Vulture | 65° / 18° |
Red Wines | Barbaresco | 63° / 17° | |
Red Wines | Barbera | 60° / 15° | |
Red Wines | Bardolino | 53° / 11° | |
Red Wines | Barolo | 65° / 18° | |
Red Wines | Beaujolais | young, except for Chénas, Juliénas, Morgon, Moulin-à-Vent, and Régnié | 54° / 12° |
Red Wines | Beaujolais | from Chénas, Juliénas, Morgon, Moulin-à-Vent, and Régnié | 56° / 13° |
Red Wines | Bordeaux - medium quality | 62° / 16° | |
Red Wines | Bordeaux - premium quality | 65° / 18° | |
Red Wines | Bourgueil | 57° / 13° | |
Red Wines | Brunello di Montalcino | 65° / 18° | |
Red Wines | Burgundy | from the better vintages of top grand cru and premier cru vineyards | 61° / 16° |
Red Wines | Burgundy | most Côte de Beaune | 58° / 14° |
Red Wines | Burgundy | most Côte de Nuits | 61° / 16° |
Red Wines | Cabernet Sauvignon | U.S. | 65° / 18° |
Red Wines | Cabernet Sauvignon | Australian, Catalonian, Chilean, South African | 63° / 17° |
Red Wines | Cabernet Sauvignon | New Zealand | 61° / 16° |
Red Wines | Châteauneuf-du-Pape | 63° / 17° | |
Red Wines | Chianti (young) | 57° / 13° | |
Red Wines | Chianti Classico | 60° / 15° | |
Red Wines | Chianti Classico Riserva | 63° / 17° | |
Red Wines | Chinon | 57° / 13° | |
Red Wines | Côte Chalonnaise | 59° / 15° | |
Red Wines | Côtes du Rhône | and other Italian Rhônes | 56° / 13° |
Red Wines | Dolcetto | U.S. and Italian | 56° / 13° |
Red Wines | Douro (table) | 59° / 15° | |
Red Wines | German red wines | like Spätburgunder or Portugieser | 55° / 12° |
Red Wines | Lago di Caldero | 54° / 12° | |
Red Wines | Lambrusco | 51° / 10° | |
Red Wines | Malbec | 62° / 16° | |
Red Wines | Merlot | U.S. | 62° / 16° |
Red Wines | Nouveau-Style | U.S., French, and others | 51° / 10° |
Red Wines | Pinot Noir | Australian and Californian | 61° / 16° |
Red Wines | Pinot Noir | Oregon and New Zealand | 59° / 15° |
Red Wines | Pinotage | 63° / 17° | |
Red Wines | Rhône (northern) | 65° / 18° | |
Red Wines | Ribera del Duero | 63° / 17° | |
Red Wines | Rioja | 61° / 16° | |
Red Wines | Rioja Reserva | 63° / 17° | |
Red Wines | Sancerre | 54° / 12° | |
Red Wines | Sangiovese | 59° / 15° | |
Red Wines | Shiraz | Australian | 63° / 17° |
Red Wines | Syrah | U.S. | 63° / 17° |
Red Wines | Toro | 61° / 16° | |
Red Wines | Valpolicella | Amarone-style only | 58° / 14° |
Red Wines | Valpolicella | except Amarone-style | 56° / 13° |
Red Wines | Zinfandel (young, light) | 60° / 15° | |
Red Wines | Zinfandel (heavy) | 64° / 17° | |
Fortified Wines | Madeira | 58° / 14° | |
Fortified Wines | Muscat | Australian liqueur muscat | 50° / 10° |
Fortified Wines | Muscat de Beaumes de Venise | 45° / 7° | |
Fortified Wines | Port | Ruby | 60° / 15° |
Fortified Wines | Port | Tawny (older) | 58° / 14° |
Fortified Wines | Port | Tawny (younger) | 53° / 11° |
Fortified Wines | Port | Vintage | 65° / 18° |
Fortified Wines | Port | White | 48° / 8° |
Fortified Wines | Sherry | Amontillados | 63° / 17° |
Fortified Wines | Sherry | Dry, like most Finos and Manzanillas , except Amontillados | 48° / 8° |
Fortified Wines | Sherry | Olorosos | 63° / 17° |
What is the ideal temperature to store red wine?
The proper storage temperature for most wines is around 55°F, or 13°C, but the range can vary by about +/- 10 degrees Fahrenheit, or 6 degrees Celcius. Don’t worry if your long-term storage isn’t exactly at that temperature. Keeping your bottles at a consistent cool temperature and avoiding any large temperature swings is the most important factor in storage.
The reason you don’t want to keep wine too warm in the long term is because warmer temperatures can “cook” the wine, destroying some of the tannins and other compounds that give it flavor, leaving it flat-tasting. You also don’t want to keep it in a cold refrigerator for months, because the cold temperatures and low humidity in a standard fridge can theoretically dry out the corks, which could allow oxygen to seep in and ruin the taste of the wine.
What is the ideal temperature to store white wine?
White wine storage temperature guidelines are the same as reds – 45°F-65°F, or 7°F-18°F. However, given that we have a pretty wide range to work with, it makes sense to store your wine, whether white or red, at a temperature close to what it is meant to be served at. Some wine refrigerators have dual cooling zones for just this purpose.

Why is red wine served at room temperature?
Actually, room temperature is commonly around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, or 21 degrees Celsius, which is a bit too warm for red wines. That said, most red wines should not be served cold – they should definitely not be drunk at standard refrigerator temperatures.
Here’s why normal fridge temps are no good: cold temperatures highlight the wrong flavors in a red wine. Warmer temperatures emphasize the aroma and taste of tannins, acidity, mouth feel, and other more complex notes found in red wines. Colder temperatures emphasize fruity sweetness and minerality. Medium-cold temperatures emphasize oakiness, which is why oaked chardonnays should be served cold, but not too cold.
How to get red wine down to the right temperature
Ideally, to take a red wine from room temperature down to a good drinking temperature, take a bottle of red wine at room temperature and put it in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes. This should lower it to a proper drinking temperature – about 60°F-65°F, or 15°C-18°C.
White wine serving temperature
The ideal serving temperature for white wine is typically between 43°F-50°F, or 6°C-10°C. Younger, fruitier whites are best served on the colder end of that spectrum to highlight the fruit notes and minerality. Aged whites or those with more sophisticated notes are best served on the warmer end of that spectrum, such as aged, oaked chardonnays.
Sparkling wine serving temperature
While it is often recommended to serve sparkling wines “ice cold” – say, 38°F (3°C), it is probably best to serve them a bit warmer. Better sparkling wines have some unique notes like “nutty crispness,” which will really start to shine around 45°F (7°C) or so.
References
- The Essential Wine Book: An Indispensable Guide to the Wines of the World. Oz Clarke, 1997.
- Hugh Johnson’s How to Enjoy Wine. Hugh Johnson, 1990.
- Wine for Dummies. Ed McCarthy and Mary Ewing-Mulligan, 2012.
Came here looking for Amarone serving temps. Thanks for the excellent list!