I have never ordered an ice bucket for my red wine. In fact, come to think of it, I have never ordered an ice bucket for white wine, Champagne or dessert wine. I'm generally a room-temperature man - I like to taste, smell and enjoy the texture of my drinks. O.K., I admit white wine can improve with a little chilling, but too often it is served far too cold, neutralizing the nose, killing the taste and, in some cases, accentuating all sorts of nasties.

我點紅酒時從不要求把它放在冰桶里。事實上，我想起來了，我從未要求把白葡萄酒、香檳或餐后甜酒放入冰桶。我通常喜歡常溫，我喜歡品嘗、嗅聞并享受酒的質地。我承認稍稍冰鎮一下，白葡萄酒的口感會更好，但喝的時候過涼是太常有的事，這樣既降低了酒香，又破壞了酒味，而且有時反而凸顯了各種不好的味道。

Try chilling a youthful red wine. With tannins that are a little too astringent, you will get a not-so-pleasant surprise. The cool temperature will neutralize the smell of the fruit while exacerbating the bitter, dryness of the tannins.

冰鎮一瓶年份較短的紅酒試試看。由于單寧有點太澀了，后果可能不太妙。冰冷會減少果香，卻加重了單寧的干澀。

But it's heating up over here in London and dining out last week, I was tempted - sorely tempted - to ask for the ice bucket. The red wine in question was simply too warm. It tasted a little flat and the refreshing crispness of the acidity had lost its shine. I'm attributing this particular problem to that tricky handover in spring when one isn't quite sure whether to turn off the central heating or leave it on. At this time of year, room temperature can fluctuate wildly if the sun is shining outside.

但倫敦的天氣一天天熱了起來。上周我出去吃飯時禁不住誘惑（強烈的誘惑）就要了個冰桶。我懷疑那瓶紅酒有點太熱了，口感不夠豐富，那種本應令人振奮的酸味卻不再誘人。我認為正是春天的時節造成了這種特別的問題。一年之中的這個時候，人們難以確定是否應該關閉或打開中央暖氣，如果屋外艷陽高照，室溫波動可能非常大。

As a rule of thumb, I would suggest red wine be served between 10°C (50°F) and 18°C (64°F), with heavier reds, such as Australian Shiraz, served towards the higher end of the temperature range and lighter reds, such as Beaujolais, served at the lower end. White wine can be served between 4°C (39°F) and 10°C (50°F), although, as I said, I prefer mine on the warmer side.

根據我的經驗，我建議紅酒的飲用溫度應在10°C至18°C之間：像澳大利亞的Shiraz等口味較重的酒適用于這個區間的高溫區，而博若萊(Beaujolais)等稍淡的酒則適于低溫區。白葡萄酒的飲用溫度應在4°C至10°C之間，但我已經說過，溫度高點更合我意。

Of course the exception is Champagne, which does benefit from cooling as it improves the texture of the wine, accentuating its crisp, refreshing character. If you find yourself out of ice, a good tip is to put warm water in the ice tray and pop it in the freezer, as it will freeze quicker.

當然香檳酒是個例外，冰鎮能改善酒的質地，突出其清爽、提神的特性。如果你的冰塊用完了，教你一個好辦法：在制冰盤中倒入溫水，放入冷凍室，冰塊結冰的速度會更快。

There is an advantage to serving wine too cold: It is relatively easy to warm up again either by cupping your hands around the glass or warming the glass by rinsing it under hot water. If you really feel the need to ask for an ice bucket with your red wine, I would advise trying this practice out on close friends and family. To the casual acquaintance, you may appear dangerously pretentious.

酒太涼也有一個好處：讓酒變暖相對容易。你即可用手捂著把酒杯暖熱，也可以用熱水沖它。如果你真覺得需要把紅酒放在冰桶里，我建議你和親近的朋友或家人一起飲酒時試試這種作法。和不太熟悉的人在一起時，這樣做或許有炫耀之嫌。