Serving wine at the correct temperature makes a world of difference to its taste—but it’s not as simple as ‘warm a red and chill a white’.

HANDS UP IF you’ve ever called for an ice bucket for your red wine. Don’t laugh: When a red is served too warm, a few minutes submerged in ice and water will bring it down to an acceptable temperature—for the record, usually between 14°C and 18°C.

Fortunately, I’ve never had to make this rather strange request. Mainly, I expect, because I lived for many years in Scotland, where the average temperature seldom reaches above balmy and I’m glad to say, most restaurants have invested in temperature-controlled storage cabinets.