Returned from a hard day at work with a lukewarm bottle of something that should be chilled? The first thing that might enter your head is, can I ice cube it? Between you, me and the gate post what you do in your own home with your hard-earned wine is up to you but my answer would be a hard NO!
First try these handy tips and tricks and great gadgets first…
- Frozen grapes are your friend. I keep frozen grapes in the freezer all the time. A great trick, first you will always have a handy, healthy and sweet treat ready to go but more than that when it comes to wine, frozen grapes can be a saviour. A handful will chill your wine without diluting the flavours.
- Bathe your wine in a bucket of salted ice water. Salt reduces the temperature of water so your wine will chill faster than in standard iced water. Try adding plenty of table salt to a bucket or vessel big enough to hold your bottle or bottles before adding ice. This is a great way to speed up the chilling process.
- I like my whites colder than the recommended serving temperature and where I might think twice before I put something super pricy in the freezer it can act as a quick additional blast. For a sparkling white 10-15 minutes maximum is a great way to get the temperature down fast on an everyday wine. Just don’t forget to set the timer unless you want a controlled wine explosion along with your frozen peas.
- Open the bottle and pour your glasses out then cover and refrigerate. Doing so reduces the surface area that needs to be chilled so is a great way of getting just the right amount cold right away. Just be sure to cover the glass to stop it being exposed to strong fridge smells and other odours.
- Gadgets galore. There are some great affordable gadgets to buy including the Corkcicle Air wine chiller. Keep it in the freezer and it will cool the wine as it pours.
- Cool sleeves also work well and can be used in lots of ways either flattened as a general cooler or on a bottle as a chilling sleeve. A great piece of kit for any freezer.
- Red wines can also benefit from a light chilling for around 30 minutes before serving. Simpler, fruitier reds work best such as a Beaujolais or other Gamay based wines which can make for a refreshing sundowner any day of the week.