How to cool a bottle of wine quickly

what should you do if you need a fresh Rías Baixas or Garnacha Blanca right now but all your bottles are at room temperature? If you have ever found yourself in this circumstance, you will understand why it is essential to know how to chill wine quickly.

want to know the 5 best methods to chill a bottle of wine quickly? Read on!

1. Immerse the bottle in ice water with salt

Giving the bottle an ice bath in salt water is the fastest technique for chilling wine. (And we’re not talking about salt water from the ocean, but adding conventional table salt to the water).

) In case you don’t know, salt lowers the freezing point of water (a process known as “freezing point depression”), allowing it to be much colder than it would be without freezing.

1. To use this method, you will need an ice bucket, wine bucket or any other container large enough to hold the entire bottle of wine. You can even use the kitchen sink or bathtub if you have several bottles of wine
2. Next, fill the container halfway with water and add the salt. The key is to use a sufficient amount of salt. Some say a few teaspoons of salt is adequate, but such a small amount will not appreciably reduce the temperature of the ice bath. Instead, add a couple of cups of salt to the water
3. Now add the ice cubes.
4. Once the salt water and ice mixture is ready, be sure to fully submerge the bottle of wine. The wine will be ready in about 15 minutes or less.

Pro tip: to speed up the cooling process, swirl the bottle around the mixture every few minutes. But don’t try this with champagne or other sparkling wines, or you’ll end up with a conflagration.

2. Keep it in the freezer

It’s not the quickest way to get a cold bottle of Chardonnay or sparkling brut, but freezing the bottle of wine will do the trick. To make the freezer option work for you, put the wine on its side.

why? The larger surface area that comes into contact with the cold surface of the freezer will cool it much faster than if you place it upright. (Besides, a bottle of wine upright is unlikely to fit in your freezer). ) Set a timer for 30 minutes to an hour to reach the ideal temperature and prevent the bottle from cracking or bursting.

Even if you’re not chilling the wine, it’s best to store it horizontally. This will be perfect for corked wine bottles, as it retains moisture, prevents it from drying out and preserves the wine from spoiling.

3. Pour into wine glasses and place them in the refrigerator

This cooling method requires opening the wine bottle, so if you don’t mind doing so, this can be a good option. Simply pour the wine into a wine glass and cover it with plastic wrap before storing it in the fridge to retain odours and minimise oxidation.

Because a wine glass is thinner (and smaller) than a bottle of wine, it will cool more quickly. That means your wine will be ready in about 30 minutes, instead of the typical 90 minutes it takes to chill a full bottle in the fridge.

Pro tip: instead of placing filled glasses in the door, put them on a shelf at the back of the fridge. This will not only protect the glasses from sliding around and perhaps spilling, but will also help regulate the temperature (especially if you open the fridge frequently).

4. Add some ice cubes

We’re the first to confess that this is a serious violation of wine etiquette 101. But if you’re looking for quick answers on how to chill wine quickly, add an ice cube or two to your wine glass. (After all, some rules are designed to be broken. And when it comes to savouring a glass of wine, they’ll go to any extreme.)

) Since ice cubes will eventually melt and dilute the wine, this method is best suited for rosés or unoaked white wines that don’t taste unpleasant when slightly watered down.

Consider using reusable ice cubes, which do not melt and are available in materials ranging from stainless steel to soapstone. However, they won’t stay cold indefinitely, so make sure you have enough ice cubes to keep your wine nice and cold.

5. Add a few frozen grapes

A superior alternative to ice cubes, frozen grapes are an effective and visually beautiful way to chill wine in minutes. They don’t dilute the wine and have the added benefit of being chewable for a bit of sweetness.

Pro tip: choose grapes that complement the type of wine you are drinking or serving. For example, red grapes for red wine and green grapes for white wine, and choose organic grapes whenever possible to avoid pesticide residues.