Home > Learn Wine

ask dr. vinny

Hello there! I'm Dr. Vinifera, or "Vinny" for short. Ask me your toughest wine questions, from the technical aspects of winemaking to the fine points of etiquette. I hope you find my answers educational and even amusing. Looking for a particular answer? Check my archive and my FAQs.

Dear Dr. Vinny,

What is the best way to ensure that my wine is served at the proper temperature when I have to decant it for an hour or two prior to serving? If I pull a bottle of red out of my 55-degree cellar, it seems like it's heated up to 70 degrees within a couple of hours and the wine turns somewhat flabby. Should I put the wine in my refrigerator to bring it down to 40 or 45 degrees, depending on how long I'm decanting before serving?

—Troy P., Burbank, Calif.

Dear Troy,

You could put the decanter into an ice bucket for a few minutes, and you could also turn down the thermostat in your home. I'm serious about the thermostat—in our offices, we keep it nice and chilly on summer tasting days so the wines don't get too warm as they adjust to room temperature.

—Dr. Vinny

Do you have a question for Dr. Vinny? Ask it here...