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.

我点红酒时从不要求把它放在冰桶里。事实上，我想起来了，我从未要求把白葡萄酒、香槟或餐后甜酒放入冰桶。我通常喜欢常温，我喜欢品尝、嗅闻并享受酒的质地。我承认稍稍冰镇一下，白葡萄酒的口感会更好，但喝的时候过凉是太常有的事，这样既降低了酒香，又破坏了酒味，而且有时反而凸显了各种不好的味道。

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.

冰镇一瓶年份较短的红酒试试看。由于单宁有点太涩了，后果可能不太妙。冰冷会减少果香，却加重了单宁的干涩。

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.

但伦敦的天气一天天热了起来。上周我出去吃饭时禁不住诱惑（强烈的诱惑）就要了个冰桶。我怀疑那瓶红酒有点太热了，口感不够丰富，那种本应令人振奋的酸味却不再诱人。我认为正是春天的时节造成了这种特别的问题。一年之中的这个时候，人们难以确定是否应该关闭或打开中央暖气，如果屋外艳阳高照，室温波动可能非常大。

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.

根据我的经验，我建议红酒的饮用温度应在10°C至18°C之间：像澳大利亚的Shiraz等口味较重的酒适用于这个区间的高温区，而博若莱(Beaujolais)等稍淡的酒则适于低温区。白葡萄酒的饮用温度应在4°C至10°C之间，但我已经说过，温度高点更合我意。

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.

当然香槟酒是个例外，冰镇能改善酒的质地，突出其清爽、提神的特性。如果你的冰块用完了，教你一个好办法：在制冰盘中倒入温水，放入冷冻室，冰块结冰的速度会更快。

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.

酒太凉也有一个好处：让酒变暖相对容易。你即可用手捂着把酒杯暖热，也可以用热水冲它。如果你真觉得需要把红酒放在冰桶里，我建议你和亲近的朋友或家人一起饮酒时试试这种作法。和不太熟悉的人在一起时，这样做或许有炫耀之嫌。