Serving Natural Wine - at what temperature should we serve it?

Serving Natural Wine - at what temperature should we serve it?

As far as temperature for drinking natural wine is concerned, you can follow the same general guidelines for traditional wines. 

 

Room temperature has been a rule of thumb for reds for a long time, but with modern day heating systems, this has changed ever so slightly. Natural wines should generally not be stored or decanted above about 60 degrees Fahrenheit to conserve the full integrity of these wines.

 

Have you ever taken chocolate out of the refrigerator and realized you can’t fully taste it until it warms up in your mouth? In this same way, some wines benefit from being served at a slightly warmer temperature than the most fridge-fresh white or sparkling wines. It just helps bring out the flavor profile a bit more. Some of these include:


  • Fine champagne 
  • White wines with some oak on them
  • White grapes with lower acidity like Chardonnay, Viognier or Chenin Blanc
  • Natural rosés with a rich hue that blur the line between a rosé and a lighter-bodied red.  (Valentina Passalacqua’s Montepulciano from Puglia, or Oda Winery’s Dzelshavi rosé out of Georgia, are perfect examples)  

Juicier, lighter bodied natural reds from grapes such Frappato, Gamay, Trousseau, Poulsard or Nerello Mascalese, benefit from a slight chill. Throw them in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or so before decanting. 

 

The nature of natural winemaking can create juicier, typically fuller-bodied varieties however. So if you feel you want to give a Grenache-Carignan-Mourvedre blend a slight chill, go with your instinct! 

 

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