Most white wines should be served chilled to about 50°F to 60°F, while Champagne and sparkling wines should be served a little cooler at 40°F to 50°F. Most red wines should be served at about 60°F to 65°F, while Beaujolais should be served cooler at about 50°F to 60°F. (The typical wine cellar temperature is 55°F, while a refrigerator is normally about 37°F.) White wines may be chilled in the refrigerator for about two hours before serving, while reds will benefit from about one-half hour of chilling. Wines that are served too cold will lack aroma.

Rather than refrigerating ahead of time to cool the wines, an ice bucket may be used. The bucket should be filled with half ice, and half cold water, and should be deep enough to allow submersion of the bottle to the neck. The time required to chill red wines in an ice bucket is about 5 minutes, Beaujolais 15 minutes, 15 to 25 minutes for whites, and 30 minutes for Champagne and sparkling wines.