Guide to Chilling Red Wine

I feel like I might end up getting crucified by certain oenophiles for writing this, but yes, the world does need a guide to chilling red wine properly.

Red wine, if you listen to most people in the wine drinking world, isn't really supposed to be chilled in most cases. White wine, traditionally, is supposed to be the stuff that is served chilled. Red wine is often viewed as a table wine that is best served at room temperature.

But, let's be real, there is going to be a point where room temperature is too warm. If you love a cabernet sauvignon as much as I do, but don't want to deal with drinking a warm red in sweltering heat, then you will need to start chilling red wine.

That being said, here's what you need to know about chilling red wine.

Before we begin, let's dispel some myths about chilling wine.

If you've ever drunk wine with an ice cube in it, you might have noticed that people might have looked at you a bit strangely. Those side-eyed stares are just people who may be misinformed.

The reason that many wine lovers get the stink-eye from others when they're spotted chilling red wine is because there are a lot of myths and traditions that deal with wines and serving temperatures.

A common rule of thumb that people use when it comes to wine servings is to chill white wine and serve red wine at room temperature, and honestly, that's how most people prefer it to be served. To a point, it's kind of a tradition among oenophiles.

However, connoisseurs and professional sommeliers can tell you that wine serving temperature is actually a purely personal preference. Some would even go so far as to argue that many people enjoy red wines too warm, or that they're drinking white wine too cold.

That being said, most connoisseurs believe that red wines tend to be their best at slightly below room temperature—anywhere between 40 degrees to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. If you love red wines chilled even further beyond that range, don't worry about it. It's still totally okay.

Chilling red wines is actually fairly easy; all you have to do to get them down to the optimum temperature is to stick them in the fridge.

The average refrigerator is about 40 degrees Fahrenheit, or slightly cooler. Since the best temperature to serve red wine is around 60 degrees, sticking it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes will often bring the temperature down to a its optimal level.

If you love wine-related lingo, then it's worth knowing that 55 degrees Fahrenheit is often called "cellar temperature" by sommeliers.

Cellar temperature is considered optimal for red wines by most sommes and connoisseurs, simply because it allows people to enjoy all the aromas that the wine has while also still getting a great bouquet.

Meanwhile, most white wines tend to do their best at around 45 degrees. So, if you use the fridge method, you may have to keep white wine bottles inside for a bit longer—such as an hour.

Of course, you will need to chill the wine to your personal preference. If you end up liking your red wine at a white wine temperature, nothing's stopping you from keeping that wine in the fridge longer. If you love white wine warm, it's not wrong to enjoy a glass at room temperature.

If you overchill your red wine, then place it in a dark cupboard for about 10 minutes.

Most room temperatures in homes rest at around 70 degrees or so. Therefore, putting the bottle of wine in a cupboard or closet for a while will give it time to warm up.

The truth is that you can warm wine almost anywhere in your home, but it's important to make sure that the wine isn't exposed to sunlight or open air. The reason why is that sunlight can harm wine, and if the bottle's already open, it's possible to lose some of the aromas of the wine due to air exposure.

Here's how to keep chilling red wine while you drink it.

Chilling wine is only half the battle. Keeping wine chilled is half the battle, especially when you don't want to keep running back and forth to the kitchen. That being said, there's a right way and a wrong way to chill ice.

I want to point out that ice and wine really don't mix if you want to experience the full body and flavors that wine can impart. Ice dilutes wine, and that means that you'll end up watering down the flavor of the wine.

That being said, you still can add ice to red wine if you really want to. However, don't be surprised if it starts lightening the flavor of the wine. This is actually why it's frowned upon to add ice to wine.

A better option would be to chill grapes, fruit, or even whiskey stones—then to use that to keep your wine cool. Since stones and fruit don't melt, you don't have to worry about the flavor getting diluted. Moreover, they look classier, too.

See? Chilling red wines isn't hard, nor is keeping them cool too hard a task. If you've never chilled red wine before, give it a try. It could seriously benefit the way that we enjoy our favorite vino.