The best Malbec temperature depends on whether you store or serve the wine. We’ll cover both situations and how to enjoy your next glass.
Ideal Temperature To Serve Malbec
The ideal temperature for serving Malbec wine is 60-65 Fahrenheit (15 to 18 Celsius). Use an ice bucket to keep your wine chilled if it is a hot day. The best way to use an ice bucket is with a mixture of water and ice. Also, keep your bottle closure – like the cork – in use. The bottle closure helps to keep the wine at the perfect temperature.
There are some additional points to keep in mind with Malbec temperature. As you hold the wine glass in your hands, your body heat will gradually warm the wine. If it is a hot day, keeping the wine in a bucket is best. That way, each glass you enjoy will be at the proper serving temperature. The reverse is also true. If you are serving Malbec on a cold day, there is probably no need for an ice bucket.
Ideal Malbec Temperature For Storage
Storing wine carefully is essential because aged wines often increase in value and flavor. The optimal range for wine storage is 55-60 Fahrenheit (12 to 15 Celsius). A bottle of wine stored in those temperatures will avoid severe stress. Outside of these storage temperatures, the wine is likely to be damaged. The maximum air temperature in your kitchen fridge is probably too cold for wines at 35-38 F (1-3 Celsius).
Also, the temperature is just one factor when storing wine bottles. Poor environmental conditions may also ruin the wine. It is best to avoid extreme conditions in temperature and humidity. Further, wine bottles stored with direct sunlight exposure also cause a problem. The Sun’s heat may cause the wine to exceed its maximum temperature.
Adverse conditions like sunlight, extreme humidity, and elevated temperature can hurt wine bottles. There’s no need to run a mini greenhouse experiment on your wines! Keep them cool and in stable condition to avoid damage.
Do You Need A Wine Refrigerator?
A wine refrigerator or cooler is one way to store wines at the proper temperatures consistently. Some high-end models can store white wines like Sauvignon Blanc and red in ideal conditions. These devices keep bold wines in great shape for months or years. Increasing temperature (or decreasing) depending on which wines you have is also essential. Otherwise, the ambient temperature may not be best for your wine collection.
Some smaller wine refrigerators are small enough to fit in a kitchen or basement. With space for 5-10 bottles, this device is suitable for many people.
Large wine refrigerators – anything much larger than a 15-bottle capacity – make sense if you collect various wine bottles. Many of us buy wine and enjoy it within a few weeks. In that case, a wine fridge may not make sense. Don’t worry – a bucket of ice is always an excellent choice to cool your Malbec wines as needed.
Find out more about popular wine coolers and wine refrigerators (including comparisons) in this guide from Wine Enthusiast: Wine Coolers.
Malbec Wine Comparisons
Comparing Malbec to other red wine varieties is one of the best ways to appreciate its unique flavors. Start with these guides: Malbec Vs Syrah and Malbec Vs Merlot.
What if you have had Malbec from Argentina and you want something different? Check out this guide to French Malbec. Finally, check out this guide to the best Malbec wine. With these resources, you’ll know enough to find a great bottle to enjoy with dinner today.
Malbec Temperature In Summary
There are only two aspects to Malbec temperature you need to remember. To serve Malbec at the right temperature, chill it to 60-65 Fahrenheit (15 to 18 Celsius). On a hot day, putting your wine in the fridge for 30-40 minutes should be enough to cool it down.
