Comfortably Numb

During the hot days of summer, many a red wine drinker has been known to turn to white wine in their search for something cold to drink. Although cold white wines can be thirst quenching, most people are guilty of serving them too cold, taking them right out of a 38 degree refrigerator. This is a condition known as “numbing.” When served too cold, both the aromas and the flavors of white wine are harder to detect because the colder temperature prevents the esters from volatizing, providing less feedback to your taste buds. So what is the ideal temperature for serving that special wine this holiday weekend? Sparkling, off-dry and sweet white wines will all reward you at 45 to 50 degrees. Dry white wines and those popular summer rosés show best between 50 and 60 degrees. If forced to chug cheap white at a well-intentioned but clueless friend’s bbq, by all means, go numb. Or, better yet, grab a beer. Cheers!