Serving Wine at the Right Temperature

The most basic rule about serving temperature for wine is that white wines should be served chilled and red wines at room temperature.
Most red wines seem dank and flavorless if they are served ice cold, opening up at warmer temperatures to display their aromas and flavors. In contrast, whites are crisp and refreshing when they are served chilled, and seem bland and almost cloying if they become too warm

Wine served at a rather low temperature tends to imprison odors derived from the grapes, known as varietal aromas, as well as fruity scents. The gradual rising of the temperature will tend to provoke the release of more complex odors. Temperature plays an important role in the entire process of the interaction and masking of the various substances contained in the wine.

At low temperatures, sweet flavors are less pronounced, while bitter flavors are strengthened. Acidity, another element that gives wine its characteristics, does not vary with changes of temperature but, in general, an acidic beverage is more pleasing when it is chilled. Red wines with big structures and white wines that have been matured in barriques are rich in tannins, and their astringency is emphasized by cooler temperatures. For that reason, a great red wine should be served at higher temperature, which will mitigate the sense of cloying produced by its large quantity of tannin. Red wines with light structures, like "vini novelli," or young wines, which are almost entirely lacking in tannin, can be served at cellar temperature or they can even be slightly chilled.

It must be noted that it no longer makes much sense to talk about room temperature, given the advent of modern heating systems. Thanks to air conditioning, interior temperatures now average more than 72°F, a level at which all wines lose their appeal.