The Best Type Of White Wine To Enjoy At Room Temperature

Common knowledge says that red wine should be served at room temperature, and white wine should be cooled in a fridge or ideally in a bucket with ice before serving. However there are so many different varieties of wine, and so much diversity within each category of red and white that there are of course exceptions to this rule. In fact, some white wines are best enjoyed when served slightly warmer than traditionally expected, allowing their flavors to fully develop.

So which white wines are actually okay to leave at room temperature? Former sommelier, and founder the website Decoding Wine, Mathew Woodburn-Simmonds gave us his expert opinion: "Heavy, oaked white wines can be fantastic at room temperature (by room temperature we mean 19th century room temperature so 65 degrees Fahrenheit not like 80 degrees Fahrenheit). These bigger and more complex whites really shine when served a littler warmer, though even 65 degrees Fahrenheit might be a little too warm."

This would mean that an oaked Chardonnay, a Semillon, or a Chenin Blanc all qualify as oaked white wines that actually should be served a bit warm. These fuller bodied wines pair great with creamy flavors like fettuccine Alfredo or rich risottos.

This means that almost every other type of white wine should still be chilled. A Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Riesling, and unoaked Chenin Blanc are going to shine their brightest around 45-55 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you are in a bit of a rush — say on your way to a dinner party right after a long day of work — there are times when you need to chill your white wine quickly. This is when it's time to use the speedy wine cooling hack of placing it in a damp paper towel in the freezer for a quick cool. You can also submerge the bottle in a bucket of ice water mixed with a handful of salt to chill it even faster. Just make sure you don't leave it in the cold for too long — there is such a thing as too cold wine. If you have boxed wine you can just place the entire box in the fridge, but do make sure you're storing it upside down to prevent the classic dripping of wine in the fridge. These crisp white wines pair great with sushi, grilled tuna, or something tart that has goat cheese or feta.