One of the benefits of a wine cooler vs wine cellar is the ability to easily customize your storage temperature. But what are the right Sub-Zero wine cooler temperature settings to best compliment your wine? Generally, sparkling and sweet wines should be kept at cooler temperatures while medium and full-body wines benefit from higher settings. Learn how to store wine in a wine cooler to bring out the best in every bottle.
How to Determine the Right Sub-Zero Wine Cooler Temperature Settings
While the optimal temperature for storing wine is around 55℉, the flavors and aromas of different wines benefit from variations on this temperature. Here’s how to determine the ideal Sub-Zero wine cooler temperature settings for different types of wine.
Best Temperature for Sparkling and Sweet White Wines
Temperature range: 41-46℉
When storing sweet whites and sparkling wines, colder temperatures are best. If your wine cooler isn’t cold enough, the bubbles in sparkling varieties become larger and more frothy, making them lose their snappy quality. Higher temperatures can also flatten a sparkling wine’s delicate aromas. However, be careful to avoid temperatures that are too low; they can also dampen aroma and give sparkling wine an unpleasant sharpness.
Sweet white wines like Riesling and White Zinfandel have fruity flavors that are enhanced by cold temperatures. The citrus, peach, pear and apple aromas in many of these wines are also more noticeable and pleasant when served cold.
Best Temperature for Dry White Wines
Temperature range: 46-54℉
When storing dry white wines, the ideal temperature for a wine cooler is slightly higher than that for sparkling and sweet whites. A temperature range of 46-54℉ brings out the more subtle flavors and aromas that can be masked by colder or warmer temperatures. The attractive acidity of dry whites like Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc is also enhanced by this cooler temperature setting.
Image Credit: Sub-Zero
Best Temperature for Light to Medium-Bodied Red Wines
Temperature range: 54-61℉
Red wines often have a more complex bouquet of aromas, flavors, and tannins when compared to white varieties. These sensitive factors are better balanced when stored at warmer temperatures than white wines. When they’re overly chilled, the flavor in light and medium red wines can be restricted, unpleasantly emphasizing their tannins. When kept at a temperature that’s too warm, the alcoholic nature of the wine comes to the forefront, making the wine taste flat and bland.
Sub-Zero wine cooler temperature settings between 54-61℉ still give wines like Pinot Noir and Merlot a slight chill that maximizes flavor. It also provides the needed balance between stronger aromas and tannins.
Best Temperature for Full-Bodied Red Wines
Temperature range: 63-66℉
Bold, full-bodied red wines require a warmer, tighter temperature range to best balance their strong flavors and tannins. When stored at temperatures that are too cold, the boldness that makes these wines so attractive can be muted.
However, just because these wines benefit from some warmth doesn’t mean that room temperature is the answer. When full-bodied wines like Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah are served too warm, their tannins can quickly become overwhelming, further masking flavors. Keeping your Sub-Zero wine cooler temperature settings just below room temperature can best balance the competing factors of these bold varieties.
The technicians at Don Bacon Appliance Service can make sure your Sub-Zero wine cooler temperature settings are always on point. Schedule your professional service today.
