Via iStockphoto / @haileysani TikTok
A woman has gone viral after experiencing what she has described as 'winegate' at an NYC restaurant. Should white wine always be chilled?
How do you drink your white wine? It’s a simple enough question, but for one woman, it carried more weight than she expected. She says a New York City restaurant gaslit her—a white wine aficionado—over how it’s served.
Hailey Sani (@haileysani) has been a content creator since she was 12 years old. Along with a YouTube channel with over a million subscribers, she has over 400,000 TikTok followers. She often shares lifestyle content with viewers. But in this TikTok, she describes a more personal gripe. Her video has amassed 103,300 views.
She starts by describing how she went to a restaurant for dinner. She says she ordered a glass of white wine. However, the wine was room temperature. In turn, she says she asked for a cold glass, and the server said she’d put the drink on ice and bring it back. After doing this, Sani sipped the wine and remarked that it didn’t seem any different. In response, she says the server said white wine was meant to be drunk at room temperature.
“Now I just feel like you’re f—— with me,” Sani says to viewers. She notes how she had “never met” a glass of wine that was meant to be drunk at room temperature, so she asked the server if she was sure.
Ultimately, she says she decided to get a cocktail instead. But she still got charged for the wine.
“Am I being punked right now?” she asks. “Like, am I overreacting? Do you guys think I’m overreacting?”
In turn, she says she asked the server to take the wine off the bill, and while she did, she says she got the “nastiest, meanest look” in return.
BroBible reached out to Sani via email.
‘White Wine Is Always Served Cold’
In the comments, viewers were on Sani’s side.
“White wine is always served cold, while red wine is served at room temperature,” one wrote.
“If it’s suppose to be room temperature why didn’t she say that the first time you asked?” another asked. “If it’s supposed to be room temperature why didn’t she say that the first time you asked?”
“I mean if that’s the case, when you chose that glass, she should’ve inform you about it,” a third said. “And literally white wine is meant to be cold lol. I go with an ice cube to don’t deal with it. but I feel you. You ain’t over reacting.”
A culinary student also shared their take. “White wine SHOULD be served cold because the temperature directly alters how our taste buds perceive acidity and for the evaporated alcohol to NOT give you an unpleasant nostril burn,” they explained. “Also, white wine tastes flat when it’s room temperature or warmer so it’s always recommended to serve it at least little over the room temperature.”
They added, “There are some scenarios where it can be served warm, like if it’s really aged(at least a decade or longer), or oxidised(purposely more dried and nutty) or mullet (boiled). But rather than those options, you shouldn’t be served room temperature white wine. (Pro tip: any spirit or alcohol with milky taste or ingredient should also be kept in the fridge to keep the diary safe and red wine can be kept in room temperature).”
Should White Wine Always Be Chilled?
According to Three Choirs Vineyards, the answer is yes. White wines should always be served at above room temperature, which amounts to 44 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
The important rule of thumb, apparently, is this: the lighter and sweeter the wine is, the colder the serving temperature should be.
However, the site does not recommend serving it at less than 42 degrees Fahrenheit. If this happens, the coolers risk masking the wine’s own flavorings.
Three Choirs Vineyards also acknowledges another important caveat and alcohol-serving life hack. Light and medium-bodied white wines like Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc should be served at 46 or 48 degrees Fahrenheit. To achieve this temperature, the site recommends chilling the wine in the fridge for approximately 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, it suggests that fuller-bodied wines like Chardonnay are served slightly warmer at 10 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit in order to maximize flavor. So, if you want your Chardonnay to have this optimal temperature, it recommends chilling this wine in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.