questions about wine... can anyone help?

Question

I won a charity raffle prize which included a number of bottles of wine. I like some wines Merlot, Zinfandel, sweet dessert wines,and would like to try more but am unsure which to serve cold which at room temp. If they are sweet or dry
they are
Lambrusco
Cabernet Sauvingnon
Christmas Plum
Black and Blue Semi-Sweet Berry (do I serve this cold?)
is there an easy trick to knowing?

Answer 1

Lambrusco: Serve cold. It is a Native American Grape Varietal that taste like grape jelly. It is very sweet.

Cabernet Sauvignon: This is a French American Hybrid. It is a dry red. Serve at room temp.

Christmas Plum: Sounds like a fruit wine or something sweet. Serve cold. Unless it is a mulled wine ( wine with spices added, then you serve it piping hot, like a tea) (This usually is not sold in a bottle)

Black & Blue: Is this the Black & Blue form Pheasant Hollow Winery?! Regardless, it sounds like a sweet fruit wine - serve cold.

If it is dry and red: serve it at room temp.

If it is semi-dry and red: serve it slightly below room temp.

If it is sweet and red: serve it chilled.

If it is white dry, semi-dry, semi-sweet, or sweet: serve it chilled.

If it is Champagne: serve it chilled.

If it is a port: serve it at room temp.

If it is a red dessert wine: serve it at room temp.

If it is a white dessert wine, ice wine, or late harvest: serve it chilled.

Answer 2

Your best information will come from either a specialty wine shop, or a vintner. The wineries around you love talking about their product, and how best to serve it.



Lambrusco and Cabernet are on the dry side. Cabernet being the drier of the two. Both are lovely reds that go well red meats, or pasta in a tomato based sauce. Typically, they are served at cellar temperature, which is actually slightly cooler than regular room temperature. You can pop the wine into the fridge for about 30 minutes before serving it, to cool it off. Once uncorked, allow it to "breathe", or take in a little air, then serve.



I'm not sure about Christmas Plum. Since it sounds like it's mostly fruity (maybe with some spices in it?), it could be served chilled.



Most "fruit" wines benefit from the cold. To me, it just seems to make the fruit flavor a little more..... "crisp", if that makes sense to you.



I hope this helped you a little.

Answer 3

OK rule of thumb..red at room temperature-- 18°, but reds high in alcohol content 14% a bit cooler 12-14°, whites always chilled, sweet dessert wines always chilled. Black and blue semi-sweet cold.