The internet is full of suggestions on how to get the most out of your wine. Some are useful, others pointless and long-winded. I dislike rules in wine but the 20- or sometimes 30-minute rule is simple and something I do most days. I just didn’t realise it was a “rule”. The idea is straightforward: take your white wine out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving and pop your red wine in the fridge for the same period.

Why? Most people and most restaurants serve their white wines a little too cold, and most of their red wines a bit too warm. A very cold bottle of white wine will smell and taste of very little. Let it warm up a while and you will get so much more flavour. Six to 10 degrees is perfect for fresh light whites and sparkling wines, 10-12 for richer white wines. A fridge is usually about two to four degrees.

A red served too warm will seem alcoholic and sometimes a bit soupy. Serve it too cold and it taste a little harsh and astringent. Somewhere around 16-18 degrees is about right.

When books mention serving a red wine at room temperature, they are referring back to Victorian times when rooms did not have central heating and were distinctly cooler. If you are lucky enough to own a cellar or wine fridge, you could take the bottle out 15 minutes before serving. There was a fashion for leaving cold red wines beside a roaring fire. This is not a great idea as the wine would end up tasting horrible. Instead, put it in a plastic bag, and immerse it in a basin or sink of lukewarm water.