Cellar Temperature
Cool storage temperature, typically 12–14 °C.
What is Cellar Temperature? Cellar Temperature is the cool, stable range traditionally found in underground wine cellars, used as the benchmark for long-term wine storage and as the serving temperature for many red wines and certain beer styles. The most widely cited optimal range is 12 to 14 degrees Celsius (53 to 57 Fahrenheit), with 13 degrees Celsius (55 Fahrenheit) considered the classic reference point, mirroring conditions inside traditional French wine caves. Wine can be acceptably stored across a broader band of 7 to 18 degrees Celsius (45 to 64 Fahrenheit) provided changes are gradual, but the sweet spot for aging sits between 10 and 14 degrees Celsius. The principle is simple: cool, steady, and consistent.
Why It Matters for Storage
At cellar temperature, chemical reactions inside the bottle slow to the pace wine evolution was designed for. Industry sources such as Wine Guardian point to 55 to 57 Fahrenheit (13 to 14 Celsius) paired with roughly 60 percent relative humidity as the ideal storage environment. Red wines are commonly held toward the warmer end of the range (around 14 to 15 Celsius), while whites can sit slightly cooler, down to 7 to 10 Celsius for longer rest.
Consistency matters more than hitting an exact number on the thermometer. Swings of about 8 Celsius (14 Fahrenheit) or more cause wine to breathe through the cork, accelerating aging in undesirable ways and exposing the bottle to oxidation. Humidity in the 60 to 70 percent range is also widely recommended to keep corks supple, though some experts note that humidity inside a sealed bottle remains near 100 percent regardless of the room around it.
Cellar Temperature at the Table
Cellar temperature is not the same as serving temperature, and this is where many home drinkers slip up. Reds are generally served warmer than the cellar, around 17 to 20 Celsius (62 to 68 Fahrenheit), while whites are poured cooler, between 9 and 13 Celsius (49 to 55 Fahrenheit). The older French term chambre, often translated as room temperature, originally meant cellar temperature, not the 20-plus Celsius of a modern centrally heated home, which is simply too warm for most wines.
The same range crosses into beer culture as well. In British and European tradition, cellar temperature for cask ale sits around 11 to 13 Celsius (52 to 55 Fahrenheit), used for serving real ales, stouts, and Belgian styles. It is a deliberate contrast to the near-freezing pour of mass-market lagers, and it allows aroma and malt character to show through.
