Serving a red wine slightly cool is especially helpful in taming that peppery sensation that full-bodied, high-alcohol red wines can have. It's even fine to chill red wine briefly in the fridge, in an ice bucket, or outside if you live in a wintry climate. This is because once you pour a wine, it's much harder to chill it down. On the other hand, it can always warm up in the glass.
If you find that the wine is a bit too chilly once you've poured it, swirling and cupping the glass (as you would with Armagnac or Cognac) helps warm it.
