As a general rule, white wines are meant to be served chilled. Red wines, on the other hand, are meant to be served at room temperature. However, as in many other cases, these rules can easily be broken. In truth, many people like to drink their red wine chilled or over ice. That even applies to solid red wines such as merlot.
Instructions
1. Cool merlot wines in a wine chiller to slightly pre-chill before serving. Set temperatures to no lower than 60 degrees F. That will ensure that it isn’t chilled too deeply, as that may destroy its bouquet and flavor.m
2. Place merlot wine that will be served chilled into a refrigerator for approximately one-half to one hour before serving. That way, the cold will not have enough time to destroy the wine’s aroma and flavor.
3. Put the wine into a bucket of ice less than an hour before preparing to serve it. Leave it inside the bucket throughout the meal to keep it evenly chilled.
4. Put some Merlot wine into a pre-chilled cocktail shaker along with four cubes of ice. Seal the shaker to chill the wine slightly and then pour it into wineglasses.
5. Pour the wine over crushed or cubed ice and serve it before the ice has time to melt. Do not let the merlot sit too long in the ice or it will become watery and its taste destroyed.
6. Chill the wineglasses instead of the wine itself. That will allow it to be chilled only enough to please those who prefer it that way, but not enough to destroy the wine itself.
Tags: before serving, destroy wine, hour before, meant served, served chilled
