White wine serving temperature
Barello is a home cellar and bar app that tells you what to open tonight, what to keep, and what you can mix from what you have. Serve a light or medium-bodied white at 45 to 50°F (7 to 10°C), an oaked Chardonnay a little warmer at 50 to 55°F (10 to 13°C), and sparkling at 43 to 50°F (6 to 10°C). Those are WSET's figures.
Whites, sparkling and sweet wine
| Wine | Serve at |
|---|---|
| Sparkling Sparkling wine: well chilled | 43 to 50°F (6 to 10°C) |
| Sweet wine Sweet wine: well chilled | 43 to 45°F (6 to 8°C) |
| Light white Light and medium-bodied white: chilled, like Pinot Grigio | 45 to 50°F (7 to 10°C) |
| Oaked white Medium and full-bodied, oaked white: lightly chilled, like oaked Chardonnay | 50 to 55°F (10 to 13°C) |
Serving temperatures from WSET's serving chart, read 6 October 2026. These are serving conventions, not Barello's model: Barello's numbers are the storage half.
How cold is too cold?
Below 43°F (6°C), WSET says the cold masks the flavour of whites, rosé and sparkling. The fuller the white, the less chilling it needs: a Pinot Grigio wants 45 to 50°F (7 to 10°C), an oaked Chardonnay 50 to 55°F (10 to 13°C).
A kitchen fridge runs at about 39°F (4°C), colder than that floor, so a white straight from it is too cold to taste properly. Take it out a little before you pour, or let the glass warm in your hand.
Rosé and sweet wine
Rosé is served chilled, like a white. WSET gives it no figure of its own, so treat a pale, light rosé like a light white. Sweet wine is served well chilled, at 43 to 45°F (6 to 8°C).
To chill a bottle fast, use an ice bucket three-quarters full of equal parts ice and water. Ice alone leaves air around the bottle, and air insulates.
More on temperature
The full chart is on wine temperature, reds are on their own page, and the wine fridge setting covers keeping them.