Serving white wine at the right temperature can be more important to getting the most out of a wine than just about any other factor. Serving white wine that's too warm or too cold can make even the best wine taste bad while mediocre wines can really shine if you hit just the right temperature spot. The basic rule of thumb is to serve white wines at lower temperatures and red wines at slightly higher temperatures. Sparkling wines are served the coldest while ports and fortified wines are served the warmest.

Choosing a good red wine isn't helpful if you serve it poorly. Good wines can be undermined by being served poorly while mediocre wines can really shine if served correctly. Knowing how to best serve red wines depends most upon the choice of wine glass and the temperature of the wine. The correct temperature allows the wine's flavors and aromas to come out best without being overpowered by acidity or alcohol. The correct wine glass allows you to best experience those flavors and aromas.

There are frequent references in wine articles and wine books to "seasonal" wines — wines that are better for summer, fall, winter, or spring. How can a wine be better suited to one season rather than another? What makes one wine more of a "summer wine" but another more of a "winter wine"?

There is no simple formula for wines being seasonal; instead, it's a question of what wines feel like and how a wine pairs not just with food, but also with the surrounding temperature or weather.

Serving wine at the right temperature can be more important to getting the most out of a wine than just about any other factor. Serving wine that's too warm or too cold can make even the best wine taste bad while mediocre wines can really shine if you hit just the right temperature spot. The basic rule of thumb is to serve white wines at lower temperatures and red wines at slightly higher temperatures. Sparkling wines are served the coldest while ports and fortified wines are served the warmest.