Merlot 101

With Merlot wine, are you supposed to chill it or drink it at room temperature??

Public Comments

1. Room temp.
2. chilled is best.
3. NO!!!! DO NOT CHILL!!!! NEVER chill Merlot! Whoh! I hope you didn't chill it! Chilling it will kill the flavor and depth. I also never chill Chardonnay. I prefer it room temp. I think chilling a Chard murders the deep woody flavor that I really love in a white wine. Hope I helped. p.s. I worked in a Wine and Cheee shop for almost 10 years so I know what I'm talking about.
4. That is funny. Taste it both ways and go with your preference.
5. room temperature... unless you are Greek - only Greeks chill red wine, I think.
6. It seems to be a matter of preference. If you do chill it I suggest doing so only lightly. A temp around cellar temp. is okay (54-65 degrees F).
7. All reds at room temp.
8. The rule of thumb is to chill whites and drink reds at room temperature. Now that the rules are out of the way. I personally, like all my wines chilled, both reds and whites. My advice would be to try it both ways and see which way you enjoy better. In the end, it all comes down to personal tastes.
9. Your preference. But red wine is usually served at room temp.
10. If you want to follow the "rules" red wine should NOT be served at room temperature if the room is your living room or hot kitchen. The "room" in "room temperature" refers to the cellar...think dank, gloomy castle atmosphere -- this would be around 60-65 degrees at most. I tell all my customers to drink their wine at the temperature they prefer. The wine police will not be showing up anytime soon.
11. Merlot is one of the red wines that is usually served at "room temperature". It should actually be a little cooler than room temperature...between 55 and 65 degrees. Most white wines are perfect at a cooler temperature 46 to 53 degrees. A wine that is over chilled will not taste as good. This is really a matter of personal taste. However, the temperature does really make a difference in how the wine tastes.