Buying Wine
  Storing Wine
  Serving Tempuratures
  Extracting the Cork
  Glassware
  Saving what's left
  Food Pairing
  Varietals

Serving Temperatures.

As a rule, white and sparkling wines are best served well-chilled (45 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit), with lighter, fruitier whites at the low end of the scale and fuller, more flavorful whites, such as Chardonnay, at the upper range. An hour in the refrigerator or a half-hour in the freezer is usually enough. Over chilling should be avoided, because it stuns a wine's aromas and flavors.

Red wines should be served at cool room temperature (55 to 65 F.), with lighter, fruitier reds, such as Beaujolais or Pinot Noir, at the lower range of the scale and fuller-bodied varieties, such as Cabernet and Zinfandel, at the top.

Of course, specific conditions may call for exceptions to these rules. On a hot day, for example, when room temperatures may run into the 70s or 80s, it's a good idea to chill a full-bodied red slightly before serving, to mute its alcoholic "heat." Conversely, a very rich white may be best served at close to room temperature, so its complex aromas and flavors may be fully appreciated.