To Serve Riesling
As a rule of thumb, the sweeter the wine, the higher the serving temperature. 
Also dessert-style Rieslings that have been concentrated through the effect of Botrytis are often not improved by being overly chilled because cold temperatures tighten-up volatile aromas. Standard refrigerators are usually set around 38°F (3°C) – keep that in mind for the best serving temperatures:
| Dry Riesling | 43-46°F | (6-8°C) |
| Sweet Riesling | 45-50°F | (7-10°C) |
| Ice Wines | 46-48°F | (8-9°C) |
| Botrytized Riesling | 52-54°F | (11-12°C) |
| Sparkling Riesling | 45°F | (7°C) |
December 28th, 2008 at 5:30 pm
In my opinion 6-8 degrees C is too cold for (high quality) dry Rieslings. At 12 they give their best, especially the (slightly) ripened ones (three years and more).
December 29th, 2008 at 10:46 am
Dear Gerard,
Thank you for voicing your opinion. The ranges we have provided were guidelines and really a matter of personal taste. Nevertheless, you have a point especially when you consider a great older dry (or sweet) Riesling (3 years or much older) that might be very delicate and layered with complexity. In that case you should probably add four or five degrees to the scale above to enjoy the full spectrum of aromas that those wines have to offer.