Temperate Measures

Wine appreciation can be a funny thing. Certain rules and codes of enjoyment remain entrenched as gospel truth long after they cease being relevant or reasonable.

    Take the oft-quoted can't miss, colour-coded piece of wine and food matching wisdom: red wine with meat, white wine with fish. It doesn't make sense these days. How that piece of protein is served, whether it is hot, poached, braised, roasted, char-grilled, steamed, presented with a rich sauce and so on, affect the wine pairing just as much, if not more so than the source of the protein.

    Another wine rule prompted a reader to write in last week. She and a friend both agreed that red wine is supposed to be served at "room temperature," however they differed on that actually means.

    Her friend took it at face value. The temperature of the room in which the wine is being consumed.

    "My understanding," she wrote, "is that it's based on the room temperature of households before they were climate-controlled by heating and airconditioning, rather than our current North American, relatively warm houses."

    She's right. That "room temperature" rule dates back to a time before central heating. Room temperature in those 19th century manor houses was roughly 60º degrees (compared to the 68º to 72º degrees common today).

    I believe today most white wine is served too cool and most reds are served too warm. That said I'm quick to chalk the issue up to personal preference — if wine tastes better too you ice cold or served at a roiling boil, c'est la vie. You're the one drinking it. Enjoy it as you see fit.

    To my taste however, I find that taking white wine out of the fridge 15 minutes before serving helps improve its aroma and flavour (and dials down the effect of its acidity), while slightly chilling my red wine makes them seem more focused (and makes ripe New World wines seem less alcoholic).

    Some white wines, particularly full-bodied, barrel-fermented Chardonnays, I might treat it more like full-bodied red wines. A slight chill — 20 minutes in the fridge or outside on the back porch during winter months — before serving.

    During hot summer days, I frequently plunge red wines into an ice bucket to keep them fresher and focused. A good rule of thumb is that lighter reds (Pinot Noir or Gamay based reds) can stand to be served cooler than robust, tannic reds (particularly Cabernet) as coolness makes tannic wines seem bitter.

    The next time you enjoy a glass of red wine. Try a room temperature sample versus a sample that has been slightly chilled. Alternately sample your white wine straight out of the fridge as opposed to a sample that has warmed slightly in the glass. See which version you find is preferable.

Wine of the Week

McWilliams 2007 Hanwood Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
South Eastern Australia
$15 (214577)
    This bold, jammy red wine is made in a straightforward, easy to appreciate style. Its abundant core of ripe fruit, creamy texture and generous finish make it a through and through crowd-pleaser.