Chilled or room temperature??

[Innkeeper]

You have recieved very good advice from Hotwine, the best being that you should decide for yourself. As mother and the children know, I'm perfectly happy to disrupt an entire restaurant to get it my way.

Here is the "traditional" rule of thumb. Medium and full bodied reds, 65 degrees F. Light reds (Beaujolais, Bardolino) 60 degrees F. White table wine, and rose's 55 degrees F. Bubbly wines (Champagne) and white dessert wines 45 degrees F.

Easy to say though, isn't it? How does one get to these precise temperatures, or at least in the ball park? The best way is with a wine bucket. Every home should have one. You're far better off getting it from a restaurant supply house, than one of those snotty and very expensive wine speciality places that send you catalogs and spam mail.

Fill your ice bucket with ice cubes (not crushed ice) and fill to within a few inches from the top with cold water. Plunge your bottle or bottles in and chill 5 minutes for 65 degrees; 10 minutes for 60 degrees; 15 minutes for 55 degrees; and 30 minutes for 45 degrees.