Most of us do not have the luxury of a temperature controlled wine cellar.  I don’t even have a wine fridge!  (I know that’s not as tragic of a statement as I make it out to be.)  So when it comes to serving wine I can find myself in a sticky situation.  I mean…what are  you supposed to do?  How are you supposed to know if the wine is at the right temperature for serving?  Well, when I took a tour of the Robert Mondavi Winery a few years ago, our tour guide gave us this quick tip!
White Wines are supposed to be served chilled (approx 45° F).  Not ice cold.  So refrigerate them no less than two hours prior to serving.  Then remove them about twenty minutes before you’re ready to serve them.
Red Wines are to be served just below room temperature (approx 64° F).  If you refrigerate them twenty minutes prior to serving, then they will be about the right temperature.
These are just handy tips.  For more specifics on serving temperatures for a particular wine, check out the recommendations by Master of Wine Jancis Robinson on Wikipedia.

Happy Monday!