The problem

The idea of drinking wine at room temperature has been around for years. Centuries, in fact. But as temperatures and seasons change, room temperature might not be as desired as once thought.

A recent study by Taylors Wines, showed eight out of 10 Australians are drinking their red wine "at room temperature". While this may seem like normal behaviour, the warm climate is having a negative impact on the flavour of shiraz, pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon. 

White wine isn’t exempt from the weather influence either. While nothing may seem more refreshing than a crisp glass of sauvignon blanc poured straight from the fridge, chilling a white wine too cold can mask its flavours and aromas, making its acid flavours more pronounced. In a recent Wine Intelligence survey commissioned by Taylors Wines, 77% of Australians enjoy a cool glass of white fresh from the fridge, while 21% even serve it directly from the freezer.

This means that it's likely New Zealand’s two-million strong wine drinking population are inadvertently drinking wines at the incorrect temperature too.

The solution

While expensive high-tech wine fridges and thermometers can be used to control and monitor a wine’s temperature, most Kiwis don’t have access to this equipment, so Taylors have found a solution to wine drinker’s temperature troubles with their latest label innovation.

Now featured on the back of Taylors Estate and Promised Land ranges is the Optimum Drinking Temperature Sensor – a temperature sensor which uses thermo-chromatic ink technology that changes colour depending on the temperature of the wine. It turns green when the white wine is just right to pour, and turns fuchsia when red wines are at the perfect temperature.

This is the first time the technology has been used in educational application.

“Using insights and research into wine drinking habits, we’re excited to share a simple way for wine consumers to know when their wines are just right to drink,” Justin said.

Top tips

Taylors chief winemaker, Adam Eggins, suggests that during the summer months, red wines go into the fridge 30 minutes prior to serving. This gives the wine time to chill to the optimum drinking temperature, turning the back label’s small seahorse sensor to a bold fuchsia.

As for whites, Adam suggests pulling them from the fridge 30 minutes prior to opening and enjoying, as this gives the wine time to warm up, opening its aromas and unique flavours.