Do you believe its a severe negative for wine bars or restaurant bars to offer their by the glass menu's at room temp instead of 55-58 degrees?
Answer From Expert Roger Bohmrich MW
Your question calls for more than a yes or no reply. First, "room" temperature in some restaurants and seasons could be quite high, in fact above the level at which many wines show best - either whites or reds. You have probably experienced, as I have, that warm glass of red and thought how the alcohol seemed to burn more than usual. The tricky point is to find the "optimal" temperature for service, which varies according to the specific wine, and the restaurant environment. I'd like a young Sancerre (the white version) to be served quite chilled as it will warm as it sits in the glass, whereas a young, tannic red could be rather non-expressive aromatically and unpleasantly astringent if served at a low temperature (in the range of 55 to 58 F, standard storage temperature). More mature reds will simply not reveal their best qualities if served directly from the cellar or wine cooler. Speaking personally, I do think that reds should be served somewhat cooler than is commonly the case in many restaurants (and homes), and the finest, most complex whites should be cool rather than icy cold. Some of the world's greatest restaurants maintain a "day" cellar where they keep many of their top sellers at just the right service temperature; the day cellar is replenished from a separate long-term cellar.
