The Perfect Temperature for Each Wine

White wine = freezing cold, Red wine = Room temperature, right? Well, not necessarily. While that’s a pretty basic rule to live by, and probably what you learned at the start of your wine journey, serving temperature in wine can be a lot more nuanced than you might think, especially when you start to get into the tannic structure, varietal…and all kind of nerdy wine stuff like that. At Tank, we’re obsessed with staying on our toes and making new cool shit all the time, that means a LOT of different styles of wine, and to get the most out of it, the right serving temperature can be everything. So, let’s break it down, shall we?

Which wines are best served freezing cold?

Generally speaking, sparkling wines and very light-bodied white wines are best served at an freezing temperature: generally 38-45 degrees F. There is slightly more variation with Rosés! A very light, crisp Provençal-Style rosé is often best served around this temperature too.

Tank Current Release Examples: Alright Fight Club, Skateland, Hippy Sippy, Wild Child, Flowershop

Wines best served "fridge cold," but not freezing?

If a lighter wine tends to have more aromatic flavors, or more of a full body, it will generally be at its full potential if it is a little bit warmer. This is best observed for something like, a fuller-bodied Chenin or Chardonnay, most skin-contact wines, and tannic rosés. At Tank, we love working with interesting varietals, making carbonic and skin-contact wines, so we have lots that fall into this category! Serve these around 45-55 degrees F to have the best drinking experience!

Tank Current Release Examples: Acapulco Swim Club, Love Saves the Day, Occhiali da Sole, Trailer Park Pretty, Mirror Play, Crushed Hearts, La Loba

Wines best served “cool”?

While it’s a long-time myth that all red wines are best served “room temperature”, there’s a plethora of lighter-bodied reds that are best served with a very slight chill, around 55-60 degrees F. We love this for a lot of carbonic reds, and ones with a much lighter tannic structure.

Tank Current Release Examples: Bye-Bye Baby, Checkered Past, Lonely Hearts Club, Softcore

Wines best served closer to room temperature?

Bigger, bolder reds are best served a little closer to “room temperature”. But even this means a serving temperature of around 60-68 degrees F. If you reside in a much warmer climate, it’s not recommended to leave your red wines out. Serving around 60-68 degrees will give you the fullest expression of subtleties, structure and aromas.

Tank Current Release Examples: Fuck Yeah, Stunt, Don’t Forget Me, Dynamic Karate Theory, I Love You but I’ve Chosen Disco, Honky Tonk Girl, Lost Dreams, Heavy Metal Life