Editor's Blog6 mins ago
Red wine
My cottage is really cold, but I'm used to it, the wine isn't though. Is there such a thing as a plug in wine warmer or something? If not it should be invented! It's a bit hit and miss with the fan heater!!! Any suggs gratefully received, ta.
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My opinion is that these devices are completely unnecessary. The maximum temperature for serving red wine is about 18�. How warm do you want it? What is the temperature in your dining room?
I once knew a girl who was a waitress in a very posh restaurant apparently the secret they used of getting wine to the right temperature was to put it in the microwave for a few seconds. I once tackled the wine waiter on this and he admitted it.
Another trick if you need to get the wine up to temperature quickly is to stand it in warm water.
Or failing that, you know those sleeves that you put in the freezer and then put round white wine bottles to keep them cool. They can equally be used to keep red wine bottles warm by warming them up in some warm water and then putting them round the bottle.
Enjoy
You shouldn't need to warm your wine, country_boy. The old adage that "red wine should be drunk at room temperature" is true - but referred to the days before central heating!
A good Bordeaux (claret) should be served at around 17 oC - typical modern room temperature is around 20 - 21 oC.
If your house is cold, c_b, you shouldn't have to do anymore than open and enjoy ! No need for wine warmers or, god forbid, microwaving !!
Never ever microwave wine. The idea of serving at room temperature started before the days of central heating, so ideally (as noted above) it should be below the temperature of most rooms.
If your storage is below 15C, use Pinotage's method with a large glass and pour a little in the bottom, as it will warm through quicker. Avoid the temptation to pour in an amount proportional to the glass size - that's only allowed after a very bad day.