We’d like to think that a gentleman should know a little bit about everything, including his wine, women and shoes. But these rules are not just laid out to protect these luxury items from harm. They are there to protect your reputation as a gentleman and connoisseur of the finer things.
There is a big difference between the approach of ‘storing’ versus ‘chilling’ your vino. Wine is like a fine woman in that it cannot just be bought and shelved any old way you see fit. It must be romanced, finessed and experimented with in order to bring out her finest character, qualities, aroma and color.
And since we’d rather learn the rules from someone who knows, then repeatedly fail as we discover them for ourselves, we asked the experts at KingsBottle.com to teach us a few new tricks.
Urbasm: Let’s get right down to business. What is the ideal temperature for a glass of wine?
KingsBottle: When you do a quick search you will see temperature ranges for main categories of wines, Sparkling 40-50F, Whites and Rosé 50-60F and Reds 60-70F are broad recommendations. KingsBottle publishes in its manuals 41-43F, 44-51F and 52-64F respectively. However, those temperatures are really a concern for STORING wine, when the continuing fermentation process can be impacted by those temperatures.
Urbasm: That temperature range is broader than we thought.
KingsBottle: Serving temperature still matters though. Colder temperatures can dull the aroma and the flavor and may even make the bitterer qualities stand out. Warmer temperatures can make it taste flat, dull or even overly alcoholic. However, within those ranges, taste is a very personal and subjective thing. So the only way to find the ideal temperature for you is experiment with it. For example, start with a bottle chilled to the lower end of the recommended temperatures, enjoy a glass, leave the bottle out and try small samples at periodic intervals. How does the taste change? Learn and adjust. If nothing else, you’ll have fun learning.
So the simple answer, the ideal temperature is at which it tastes best to you – within reason! Explore the impact of temperature on your wines and learn your preference for each wine type or even each bottle you prefer. Generally, you will want to stay within or very near the recommendations, but you will be surprised what a few degrees changes.
Urbasm: What are the main advantages to chilling a bottle of wine before you serve it?
KingsBottle: The goal of chilling a bottle of wine is to find the right balance of flavors. As mentioned, temperature can dull or accentuate aspects of both the aroma and the flavor. Remember, the bouquet or fragrance of the wine also has an impact on how the wine tastes. With whites you are balancing the sweet and savory aspects of the wine with chilling reducing the overall sweetness. With reds, it’s the tannins and the acidity you are trying to balance.
Urbasm: So where do most people go wrong when it comes to chilling wine?
KingsBottle: Number one, Not giving consideration to the temperature. It does matter. It’s just that what is ideal will depend on the wine type -red, the specific wine type – a high tannin red such is a Cabernet Sauvignon, possibly even the specific bottle and the drinkers palette and preference. Two, over chilling wines in their household refrigerator. If you just want to take the edge of a bottle and you time it right, your refrigerator will work. However, at a normal temperature of about 40F, your kitchen refrigerator is too cold for all but your Sparkling wines. A KingsBottle wine refrigerator, on the other hand, offers the perfect temperature settings for all your wines.
Urbasm: Which brings up the question… what really is the difference between chilling a bottle of wine in a fridge or bucket of ice versus a wine cooler?
KingsBottle: For a quick chill, your fridge or a bucket of ice are fine. Do remember to rotate your wine in a bucket of ice, so it chills evenly and don’t let it get too cold. A KingsBottle wine cooler, on the other hand, is the ideal solution for storing your wines at their ready to serve temperature. It allows you a designated place to store a variety of bottles ready to drink without the advanced planning or quick chilling. Designed with temperature consistency in mind, it provides safe and stable chilling at your desired temperature.
Urbasm: Describe the kind of guy who probably needs a wine cooler and may not even know it?
KingsBottle: Well, we think they are pretty cool, so let’s just start with that!
Urbasm: (Laughs)
KingsBottle: Seriously though, if you have about 20 bottles of wine at any one time, you are a great candidate for a wine cooler. Other factors to consider are your ambient temperature. If your living space is prone to temperature swings, a wine fridge is probably a necessity. Temperature when storing wine is critical and really it’s about a STABLE temperature. A stretch of scorching summer days and your wine could be toast. Another, less talked about, aspect is light. Sunlight in particular, but really all light has an impact. KingsBottle units come with UV protected glass doors and cool LED lights.
KingsBottle: Movement isn’t great for wine either, so rolling that bottle back and forth in your too cold house fridge is less than ideal. Built with low vibration compressors and cradling beech wood shelves mounted on ball bearing glides, think of KingsBottle coolers as a wine bottle cradle.
Urbasm: What are the other essential wine accessories that should be in every man’s bachelor pad?
KingsBottle: A bottle opener, a vacuum wine stopper and, if he enjoys reds, a decanter and/or an aerator.
Urbasm: What is the greatest innovation of wine that has come about over the last decade?
KingsBottle: Wine making is an ancient art. I think modern innovations are really most seen in the way we talk about wine. With the global landscape getting smaller and information at our fingertips, everyone can learn about wine. Good, affordable wines are becoming more available. Learning about wine is hip, rather than just being a snobbish wine elitist.
Urbasm: And what would you say we can look forward to in the future for improving the way we enjoy wine?
KingsBottle: From a storage standpoint, it is always about creating a beautiful machine that people are proud to have in their homes. Focusing on a quality product that considers: reliability, temperature stability, noise, light, vibration, storage optimization, and energy consumption. KingsBottle is constantly analyzing those variables and making improvements. We are proud to bring a beautiful, mid-point priced unit that is an amalgam of all those features.
Urbasm: And the distant future?
KingsBottle: On the horizon, well it’s hard to say. It wouldn’t surprise me if it wasn’t long until your wine cooler messaged you that it was time to replenish your favorite label.
Urbasm: That’s definitely in our future. In closing, what would you say are the three most important things that every man should know… about wine?
KingsBottle: One, moderate wine drinking, particularly of reds with their resveratrol, has health benefits. Two, a wine you like is a “good” wine, but tastes are subjective. Three, learning about wine can be a fun adventure. It is often grown in lush and beautiful places and therefore fun to explore as you travel and it is best paired with good company and delicious food. Food, friends and fun, the spice of life!
Urbasm: We couldn’t agree more. Thanks for chatting with us KingsBottle.
Now that you understand the importance of wine, temperature and its storage, head over to www.KingsBottle.com for a quality cooler to begin storing your own collection.
About Dr. Eric J. Leech
Eric has written for over a decade. Then one day he created Urbasm.com, a site for every guy.
About Dr. Eric J. Leech