How to serve your wine

Wine is something to be savoured and enjoyed, and the best way to do that is to ensure it’s served correctly – at the right temperature, and ideally in the best kind of glass. In this article we discover the best way and temperature to serve your wine.

Have you ever noticed how much the taste of your tea or coffee changes at different temperatures? Well, this applies to wine temperature too. We know there can be a lot to think about when you’re serving wine – but once you know the basics it will become second-nature to you. Different types of wines can be served in different ways and at certain temperatures. 

The choice of glass will also make a difference to the overall experience – and will also affect the temperature considerations. Think of a large-bowled glass (ideal for red wines), and how much you can warm the wine by grasping it in your palm. That works for red wines, but should be avoided for whites, which need smaller glasses but ones which can funnel the more delicate aromas to your nose and mouth more quickly. Use flutes for sparkling wines if you can.

Finally, whether to decant or not is another consideration – experts often claim that almost all red wines (and especially wines such as port) will improve in flavour if they are decanted. It aerates the wine, and adding oxygen means letting the wine breathe and express itself more. It also helps to separate any sediment that may be left in the wine.

What temperature should you serve your wine?

Too cool a temperature can subdue the subtle fruity, floral or earthy notes of a wine, and too warm may cause these aromas to dissipate too quickly. Here we look at how the optimal temperature changes for each type of wine.

How to choose the perfect wine glass.

There is a huge variety of wine glasses to choose from, which may sometimes seem rather daunting when trying to pair a glass with your favourite bottle. Luckily glassware can be easily paired depending on the style of wine.

White wine is typically served in a smaller bowled glass. This preserves the fruity and floral notes and helps elevate the aromas even at lower temperature. This is due to the wine being closer to the nose. The Absolus White Wine Glasses take all of this into consideration with their hybrid glassware which is perfect for all white and sparkling wine.

Red wine is best served in a glass with a wider opening to soften the tannins and spicy aromas from a bolder red. The larger opening also allows the ethanol to evaporate, leaving a smoother drinking experience. For a medium-bodied red such as our Lychgate Red these Absolus Red Wine Glasses are perfect to capture the earthy aromas of hedgerow fruits, and black cherry. Spice flavours are softened to hit the palate more gradually due to the slightly narrower opening of the glass.