Rex M F Smith wrote:

> I don't mind my red chilled ... and my reading suggests that this "room
> temperature" business for a red begins in the 18th Century before
> central heating ...

Certainly. Few red wines benefit from being served at 75 F. Most taste
better at 60-65 F, though the bigger the wine, the warmer its serving
temperature.

>
> The average room temperature then might be 5 degrees where the wine was
> stored ...

Assuming that you refer to 5°C (afw being a group that includes we
metrically challenged USAians), I doubt that even in the 18th Century
many rooms would have been kept that cool except in the bitterest of
winters. Insulation and fire were known even back then! ;-)

>
>
> I also have an "issue" with continental white wines; I've found I *can*
> drink Aussie whites ... but whatever's been added to French, and
> particularly Austrian, whites upsets me terribly.

"Added"?? Nothing but grapes and yeast -- and in some cases sugar,
which gets fermented to alcohol by bottling time. Of course, that's
excepting the rare, dishonest winemaker. I'd guess that your problem
lies with the acidity of the wine. White wines from Europe are more
acidic than either most red wines or white wine from the New World.

Mark Lipton
wine and curry fancier