Ideal Temperature

Nothing spoils a wine more than serving it at the wrong temperature. Crisp, dry whites, rosé, sweet and sparkling wines (an hour in the fridge); less chilling allows richer whites to show off their complexity (30 minutes at most in the fridge); heavy reds served too cold will taste teeth-furringly tannic so serve at room temperature; and light reds can benefit from being lightly chilled (20 minutes in the fridge).

Quick Fixes

For chilling white or sparkling wine or chilling overheated red, ice and water is better than just ice. Chiller jackets also do the job in about five minutes. If you need a red wine warmed in a hurry, put the corked bottle briefly in a bowl of warm water.