Wine Serving Temperature Chart: Red, White & Sparkling

What temperature should wine be served at?

On the defaults — 57°F (13.9°C) — the wine served is Pinot Noir (55–60°F / 12.8–15.6°C), and nothing else: 57°F sits inside the Pinot Noir range and outside every other wine's range. Serving temperature changes what a wine tastes like more than most people expect — too cold and the aromas stay locked in and the wine tastes thin; too warm and the alcohol sticks out and the wine tastes flat.

Five things about the model are worth stating plainly. First, white wines are served chilled, roughly 45–55°F, because the cold keeps them crisp. Second, light reds like Pinot Noir are served cool, roughly 55–60°F, not at room temperature. Third, full-bodied reds are served at about 60–65°F, which is cooler than most rooms — a cellar, not a warm kitchen. Fourth, sparkling wine is served coldest, roughly 43–48°F, so the bubbles stay lively. And fifth, the ranges are inclusive at both ends: 50°F serves both the 45–50°F whites and the 50–55°F Chardonnay, and 55°F serves both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir; all listed in Accuracy & limitations.

The worked example, line by line

Setup: temperature 57°F.

Line 1 — the Celsius conversion. 57°F is (57 − 32) × 5/9 = 13.9°C.

Line 2 — the Pinot Noir check. 57°F is inside 55–60°F, so Pinot Noir is served.

Line 3 — the other wines. 57°F is above the 50–55°F Chardonnay range and below the 60–65°F Merlot and Port ranges, so no other wine is served.

Line 4 — the busiest temperature. At 50°F (10.0°C) five wines are served — Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Rosé and Oaked Chardonnay.

Line 5 — too warm. At 70°F (21.1°C) no wine is served — every wine on the chart is served at 65°F or colder.

Table 1 — Serving temperature by wine

Ranges are inclusive at both ends: 50°F serves both the 45–50°F whites and the 50–55°F Chardonnay, and 55°F serves both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. A standard fridge runs about 35–38°F, so most wines need time out of the fridge to reach their serving temperature — a bottle left in the fridge for a few hours will usually land near the right range for a white, and a red benefits from 20–30 minutes in the fridge before serving. Serve a wine colder than its range and the aromas stay locked in; serve it warmer and the alcohol sticks out.

Every branch, checked

45°F: 45°F (7.2°C): Champagne & sparkling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Rosé — At 45°F five wines are served — Champagne and the four light whites — the busiest cold end of the chart.

50°F: 50°F (10.0°C): Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Rosé, Oaked Chardonnay — At 50°F five wines are served too — the four light whites plus Chardonnay — the busiest temperature on the chart.

55°F: 55°F (12.8°C): Oaked Chardonnay, Pinot Noir — At 55°F only Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are served — the handover from white to red.

60°F: 60°F (15.6°C): Pinot Noir, Merlot, Port — At 60°F three wines are served — Pinot Noir, Merlot and Port.

65°F: 65°F (18.3°C): Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Port — At 65°F three wines are served — Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Port — the warmest temperature on the chart.

52°F: 52°F (11.1°C): Oaked Chardonnay — At 52°F only Oaked Chardonnay is served — the quietest temperature inside a range.

48°F: 48°F (8.9°C): Champagne & sparkling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Rosé — At 48°F five wines are served — the warmest Champagne can go.

The reverses, worked backwards

smallest °F serving Pinot Noir: The smallest °F serving Pinot Noir is 55°F (12.8°C). At 55°F the wines served are 55°F (12.8°C): Oaked Chardonnay, Pinot Noir. At 54°F only Oaked Chardonnay is served.

largest °F serving Champagne & sparkling: The largest °F serving Champagne & sparkling is 48°F (8.9°C). At 48°F the wines served are 48°F (8.9°C): Champagne & sparkling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Rosé. At 49°F the wines served are Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Rosé — no Champagne.

smallest °F with 3 or more wines served: The smallest °F with 3 or more wines served is 45°F (7.2°C) — 45°F (7.2°C): Champagne & sparkling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Rosé. At 44°F only Champagne & sparkling is served.

smallest °F where exactly one wine is served: The smallest °F where exactly one wine is served is 43°F (6.1°C) — 43°F (6.1°C): Champagne & sparkling. At 42°F 42°F (5.6°C): no wine served.

smallest °F serving Cabernet Sauvignon: The smallest °F serving Cabernet Sauvignon is 62°F (16.7°C). At 62°F the wines served are 62°F (16.7°C): Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Port. At 61°F the wines served are Merlot, Port — no Cabernet Sauvignon.

largest °F any wine is served at: The largest °F any wine is served at is 65°F (18.3°C). At 65°F the wines served are 65°F (18.3°C): Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Port. At 66°F 66°F (18.9°C): no wine served.

What the defaults assume

The defaults are 57°F (13.9°C): Pinot Noir. With 45°F, 45°F (7.2°C): Champagne & sparkling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Rosé — At 45°F five wines are served — Champagne and the four light whites — the busiest cold end of the chart.. With 50°F, 50°F (10.0°C): Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Rosé, Oaked Chardonnay — At 50°F five wines are served too — the four light whites plus Chardonnay — the busiest temperature on the chart.. With 55°F, 55°F (12.8°C): Oaked Chardonnay, Pinot Noir — At 55°F only Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are served — the handover from white to red.. With 60°F, 60°F (15.6°C): Pinot Noir, Merlot, Port — At 60°F three wines are served — Pinot Noir, Merlot and Port.. With 65°F, 65°F (18.3°C): Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Port — At 65°F three wines are served — Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Port — the warmest temperature on the chart.. With 52°F, 52°F (11.1°C): Oaked Chardonnay — At 52°F only Oaked Chardonnay is served — the quietest temperature inside a range.. With 48°F, 48°F (8.9°C): Champagne & sparkling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Rosé — At 48°F five wines are served — the warmest Champagne can go.. With smallest °F serving Pinot Noir, 55°F (exact 55) — at 55°F the figures are 55°F (12.8°C): Oaked Chardonnay, Pinot Noir; at the lower neighbor the figures are 54°F (12.2°C): Oaked Chardonnay. With largest °F serving Champagne & sparkling, 48°F (exact 48) — at 48°F the figures are 48°F (8.9°C): Champagne & sparkling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Rosé; at the lower neighbor the figures are 47°F (8.3°C): Champagne & sparkling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Rosé. With smallest °F with 3 or more wines served, 45°F (exact 45) — at 45°F the figures are 45°F (7.2°C): Champagne & sparkling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Rosé; at the lower neighbor the figures are 44°F (6.7°C): Champagne & sparkling. With smallest °F where exactly one wine is served, 43°F (exact 43) — at 43°F the figures are 43°F (6.1°C): Champagne & sparkling; at the lower neighbor the figures are 42°F (5.6°C): no wine served. With smallest °F serving Cabernet Sauvignon, 62°F (exact 62) — at 62°F the figures are 62°F (16.7°C): Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Port; at the lower neighbor the figures are 61°F (16.1°C): Merlot, Port. With largest °F any wine is served at, 65°F (exact 65) — at 65°F the figures are 65°F (18.3°C): Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Port; at the lower neighbor the figures are 64°F (17.8°C): Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Port. With 32°F, 32°F (0.0°C): no wine served — At 32°F no wine is served — too cold for every wine on the chart.. With 70°F, 70°F (21.1°C): no wine served — At 70°F no wine is served — too warm for every wine on the chart.. With 43°F, 43°F (6.1°C): Champagne & sparkling — At 43°F only Champagne & sparkling is served — the coldest serving temperature on the chart.. With 65°F, 65°F (18.3°C): Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Port — At 65°F Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Port are served — the warmest serving temperature on the chart.. With 60°F, 60°F (15.6°C): Pinot Noir, Merlot, Port — At 60°F Pinot Noir, Merlot and Port are served.. With 100°F, 100°F (37.8°C): no wine served — At 100°F no wine is served.. With 31°F, Temperature — enter a value between 32°F and 100°F. — At 31°F the calculator shows an error — the chart covers 32–100°F only..

Output · formula · meaning

Who uses this

• The host serving a Pinot Noir: they learn 55–60°F is the range — and they check the 57°F default to see it serves Pinot Noir and nothing else.
• The host with a fridge at 50°F: they learn five wines are served at 50°F — and they check the 45°F branch to see Champagne join the list.
• The host chilling a bottle of Champagne: they learn 43–48°F is the range — and they check the 48°F reverse to see the warmest Champagne can go.
• The cellar keeper at 65°F: they learn Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Port are served — and they check the 66°F reverse to see that one degree warmer serves nothing.

Accuracy & limitations

The model is the lookup: a wine is served at a temperature when the temperature falls inside its range, inclusive at both ends; °C = (°F − 32) × 5/9, rounded to 1 decimal. What the chart cannot do is taste your bottle: the ranges are the standard serving guidance for each variety — Champagne & sparkling 43–48°F, the light whites 45–50°F, Oaked Chardonnay 50–55°F, Pinot Noir 55–60°F, Merlot and Port 60–65°F, Cabernet Sauvignon 62–65°F — and a particular bottle, a particular vintage, or a particular palate can shift the best temperature by a degree or two. A standard fridge runs about 35–38°F, so most wines need time out of the fridge to reach their serving temperature: a bottle left in the fridge for a few hours will usually land near the right range for a white, and a red benefits from 20–30 minutes in the fridge before serving. The chart covers 32–100°F only; outside that range it shows an error, not a result.

Frequently asked questions