Cold red wine- what's with that ?

[ozchick]

The rooster and I are wondering if it's the norm for the locals or local expats to drink their red wine cold. Whenever the staff bring out a bottle of red (as a suggestion) it's invariably cold and we then have to ensure that we get a bottle at room temperature.

[durain]

just like beer with ice cubes.

[Global Citizen]

I believe this may have to do with the room temperature in Singapore as opposed to Europe, Australia, California or wherever the wine is from. Many restaurants that I know of in warm, tropical climes tend to chill their red wines a little before allowing it to settle to the requisite temperature before serving.

[Forks]

this is not just Singapore, I got this in JPN and KOR as well, and served in a beer glass or cup, got to like the taste.

[Wind In My Hair]

I believe this may have to do with the room temperature in Singapore as opposed to Europe, Australia, California or wherever the wine is from.

That's what I was told. A wine connoisseur recently told me that I should refrigerate my red wines until I was ready to drink them, because room temperature in Singapore is too warm for storing wines.

[ProvenPracticalFlexible]

I believe this may have to do with the room temperature in Singapore as opposed to Europe, Australia, California or wherever the wine is from.

That's what I was told. A wine connoisseur recently told me that I should refrigerate my red wines until I was ready to drink them, because room temperature in Singapore is too warm for storing wines.

That's correct, the modern room temperature everywhere is simply too warm for most red wines. Most common mistakes in serving wines everywere is that whites are served ice cold and reds too warm. Normal recommendation for reds is about 14-18C depending on the type of the wine,( not the 20-24C reds are often served) and 10-14C for whites, not 4-6C like you often get you white.

I still think that heavy aussie shiraz may benefit to be a bit warmer. And they tend to over play a bit in Singapore about the cooling, like they do with aircon. But serving your red from fridge serves a purpose if you are enjoying it outside, because otherwise it will be too warm after first glass.

[Plavt]

Chilling red wine is nothing unusual, Spaniards not uncommonly do the same thing. Although in the UK it is rare that anybody does.

[banana]

Having stopped my wine obsession a few years now, I'm not too clued in on what the latest 'best practise' are for vino. Generally speaking, white are meant to be 'cooling', that is to say drunk in warm weathers to refresh, while reds warm you up in cooler months. Of course this being an equatorial country, all that is moot. It might explain the trend of chilling reds somewhat.

That said, the bolder reds benefit from warming as it releases the complex flavours more. A vineyard owner in Victoria went as far as to recommend popping the bottle into the microwave for 2-3 seconds before opening. With Pinots and Merlots, chilling probably wouldn't hurt. Too much.

Personally, I think putting a red into the fridge is a little naff. As long as you store it in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight, it should be fine. Of course if you're planning to keep rare vintages, in bulk or for a long time, investing in a humidor might be the way to go. Or an entire room if you're serious.

Ultimately, it really depends on individual preference. Have it chilled, warm, with red meat or white, as long as you like it, that's all that matters.

[Addadude]

just like beer with ice cubes.

Hey - I like my beer with ice when I'm drinking it in a hawker centre!

And I can assure you that it never lasts long enough for the melting ice cubes to dilute it...

[Petales Soufflez!]

We do not have a cellar here in Italy so we had to buy a special fridge for those 100 odd bottles we own. Reds, pinks and whites, we store them at between 11 and 14ºC, lying down. They have to be in the fridge for the simple reason that wines are best kept at the same temperature throughout the year and if possible never moved. Especially for the reds.

When we drink the reds, we usually allow them to warm for at least an hour, even decorking the bottle and airing the wine in a decanter. The good ones usually need some contact with the open air in order to awaken.

Whites are drunk slightly cooler but preferably not below 14ºC as the cold hides the defects in a wine (according to the spouse's master wine tasting teacher). That's why many restaurants serve their wines cold - so that they would always taste better. So when we go to a restaurant, if the white is too cold, we would let it sit for a while before tasting it.

If you go to the same restaurant more than once, tell them that they served their wines too cold and I'm sure they'll change their habits at least for you the next time.