We all thought we knew how to drink, but it turns out we were sadly wrong, according to Georg Riedel, head of Riedel Glas Austria, the 10th-generation family member involved in the lead crystal wine glass manufacturing business.

"Red wines have been consumed too warm," says Riedel.

"You are losing out on the mouth feel, the freshness of the wine, if you serve it at room temperatures."

Mark Baulderstone, managing director of Riedel Australia, concurs. Red wine should be drunk at room temperature - European room temperature. "We drink our red wines too warm - anything drunk above 18C is too hot."

The ideal room temperature is one where you need to wear a jacket, he says. "If you are sitting there in a shirt and shorts, I guarantee your wine will be too hot."

As for the flute, The Weekend Australian Magazine's wine writer James Halliday says it doesn't capture the aroma of a champagne: "It's gone before you get to taste it. Flutes do not give enough surface area for a given volume of champagne to express itself."This will require drinkers to be bold when they order a bottle of red at a restaurant. "Ask for an ice bucket, make it into a big slushy, put it in there for 10 minutes and I guarantee your wine will be at the right temperature."

Balderstone says the flute is for special occasions when a small amount is required. Otherwise, "look at a wine glass and it will do a much better job for you".

See the full range of Riedel on our website.

Source The Australian