To answer the question should Riesling be chilled, there are a few variables to consider about temperature and more. You’ll know the proper temperature to serve this popular white wine in a few minutes.
The Ideal Temperature To Serve Riesling: Two Factors
You have a dinner party and want to impress everything with your wine collection. You want to serve the wine at the optimal temperature. There are two temperature factors to keep in mind.
Factor 1: Know Your Home’s Temperature
Central heating, air conditioning, natural light, and the year’s season influence your home’s temperature. German Rieslings and bottles from other regions will need to be chilled in cooler temperatures when it is hot outside. The reverse is also true – when the cold temperatures of winter strike, you may not need your ice bucket.
Factor 2: Know The Proper Temperature For Riesling Wine
Lighter wines like Riesling are usually served at 45-50 degrees Fahrenheit (7-10 degrees Celsius). To put that temperature in context, compare it to your kitchen fridge. Usually, kitchen refrigerators operate at 35-38 degrees Fahrenheit (1-3 degrees Celsius). Therefore, many bottles of white wine can be chilled to an acceptable temperature by putting them in your kitchen fridge for about 15-20 minutes before serving.
Should You Use An Ice Bucket With Riesling?
A bucket with water, ideally including ice, is a proven way to serve complex whites, including Italian whites and Riesling. To keep your wine away from the wrong temperature, make the bucket of water has cold water and some ice. The mixture of water and ice is essential to keeping your delicious beverage at the best temperature.
An ice bucket is also a great way to make your favorite sparkling wines last longer. Unlike a wine refrigerator, an ice bucket is a highly affordable wine to cool down a warm bottle.
Are You Missing The Rich Flavors Of Riesling With Too Much Cold?
Like much in life, there is a happy medium between warm and frozen wines. Recently, I saw some people ask for ice cubes at a restaurant and put the ice cubes into their wine. This approach will chill a bottle of wine fast. Alas, I think it will also put the fruity flavors, fruity aromas, and other fine qualities of a wine to sleep when you have a late harvest Riesling or a semi-sweet Riesling.
When you chill a wine too much, it puts the wine to sleep. You’re left with little beyond the alcohol flavor. It’s like covering a steak in a deep layer of sauces – obscuring the underlying food’s flavor. The purpose of serving wine at the perfect temperature is to make the wine more enjoyable, not obliterate the flavors.
Do You Need A Wine Fridge or Wine Cellar?
Buying a wine refrigerator does not make sense for most people trying to find the answer to should Riesling be chilled. Getting a wine fridge will not add value if you mainly buy bulk wines at the low end of the price range. Likewise, adding a wine cellar to your home is probably not needed (unless you’re concerned about the question does wine freeze?). There are only a few situations when these wine accessories make sense for most American wine drinkers.
Reason 1 – You Have A Wine Collection To Protect
Keeping a wine collection in good condition for months or years can be difficult. The delicate flavors of wine can be lost if warmer temperatures hit the bottle. If you have enjoyed some wine travel and bought a case of wine, then a wine fridge may be worth it. You’re more likely to enjoy the distinct flavor profile of your wine for years into the future.
Reason 2 – You Are Interested In Aging Wines
Some bottles of wine are well suited to aging. Full-bodied reds from Bordeaux and Burgundy may cost hundreds or thousands of dollars per bottle. If aged wines are a priority for you, a wine fridge may be worthwhile.
Reason 3 – You Live In A Very Hot or Varying Climate
In sweltering climates, Australian wine lovers and others may find it difficult to cool wine. Having more than a dozen bottles of high-quality wine may be worth buying a wine fridge. In addition, a climate with significant swings in temperature between hot and cold can damage your delicious wine.
Should Riesling Be Chilled: The Summary
Riesling wine should be chilled unless it is winter and you keep your home very cool. For most wine drinkers, putting the wine bottle in your kitchen fridge for 15-20 minutes is sufficient. Keeping your wine cool with a wine bucket is a smart idea on a scorching day. Keeping wine cool will be at or near the ideal temperature when you pour the wine into your white wine glass.
