But this is not normally the case. Most wineries are proud of their juice, and want you to taste it in all its glory. To do that it has to be warmer than tongue numbing. This isn't a wine-centric anomaly, either. Think about other foods, such as cheese.

When does a stinky cheese (or even not-so stinky cheese... or soy cheese for that matter) smell stronger: when you take it out of the fridge, or when it sits on the counter for a while? When do the flavors of the cheese come out more? Such is true with wine, though it hopefully won't smell like cheese as it warms up.

So at what temperature should you drink white wine? A bit colder than cellar temperature is best in my opinion. A good cellar temperature is around 57, and I like my white wines just a hair colder than that (unless I know it's an average wine, then I'll chill it down). But this, like all things wine-related, should be determined by personal taste. If you don't like your whites quite that warm, stick it back in the fridge for a while.

But even if it's just for me, try your next Pouilly-Fumé, viognier, chardonnay or marsanne a little warmer than normal. It may throw your holiday company off just a bit, but it may also open them up to why wine can be so exciting! Besides, with the weather getting colder, do you really want to drink anything ice-cold right now?

At some point it will happen. At some definitive, life-changing moment you will have a revelation. You will, on this occasion, realize that you have been drinking your white wines TOO COLD!

It'll probably be a discovery that you make by accident. You'll have guests coming over, and forget to put a good chardonnay in the fridge until a half hour before your company arrives. Not wanting to be an ungracious host, you'll apprehensively open the wine when the guests come, even though you know it hasn't yet reached that Slurpee temperature to which you are accustomed. Then it'll hit you, BAM! Like a sautêe pan in the face from Emeril himself, you'll taste complex and wonderful flavors that had previously been missing. Up to this point, you may have thought only red wines were that flavorful. Keep a hanky close by -- it can be an emotional experience.

If you've ever gone wine tasting, think back to the white wines you tasted then. I'll wager that they were slightly below room temperature. If they were ice cold (and kept in a refrigerator behind the tasting counter), there's a good chance that the wine wasn't real great. Why? Cold locks in flavors, and especially bouquet (smell). If the wine being served has some elements that are funkier than George Clinton, keeping it chilled will hide them.