Neither Franny nor I drink red wine. And I must confess, I always thought red wine was supposed to be served at rom temperature.

But the next time we have dinner guests, we’ll be sure that the red wine we serve is properly chilled–thanks to an interesting post by Merci New York.

In addressing brides-to-be who are thinking about items to list on their registries, Merci writes:

“According to the October issue of Bon Appetit magazine, most reds should be carefully chilled as well, making that wine fridge quite an important purchase on your registry, for now and the future. Consider that most reds are best enjoyed at temperatures ranging from 55-65 degrees, but average room temperature is about 70 degrees. Serving wines too warm will emphasize the alcohol rather than the flavor and aroma nuances.

“However, if the wine fridge absolutely cannot squeeze into your space, here’s a little “red wine rule of thumb” from us at Merci:

• Lighter reds (Pinor Noir, Beaujolais)- chill one hour
• Medium bodied reds (Rioja, Chanti)- chill 45 minutes
• Powerhouse reds (Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon)- chill 30 minutes.”

Thanks, Merci! I’ll make a little wine-chilling cheat sheet and tape it inside a cabinet for ready reference.

Filed under: Entertaining, Festive foods, Fun party ideas, Holidays