Itās a hot summer Friday. You just finished work for the week. And all you want to do is kick back on your porch with a cool glass of Chablis. But alas, you didnāt think to put the wine in the fridge this morning.
Or your rosĆ©-loving friend texts you sheās in the area and wants to pop by. Cool, cool, cool. Oh wait, the Tavel you picked up earlier this week that youāre dying for her to try is still sitting on the counter.
Yes, you could put it in the freezer and wait an hour. But if youāre like me youāre thinking, I aināt got time for that!
(BTW, if you do put it in the freezer, DO NOT forget that itās in there. Youāll end up with, at best, a wine popsicle and, at worst, a slushy mess all over your frozen peas. Trust me, I know.)
Fear not, my friends! It can still be wine-o-clock with this trick for chilling your wine faster than you can say Nebuchadnezzar (thatās a wine bottle the size of 20 regular ones, in case youāre wondering).
P.S. If you havenāt yet, make sure to grab my free Wine Tasting Planner. It has 20+ wine night theme ideas, including the exact ones Iāve used for my wine tastings. Plus, a timeline, food pairings, games, free printables, worksheets, and more. Get your copy here.
Recommendations may be affiliate links on which I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. This helps me share new wine destinations with you and I only recommend products that I love and think youāll love too!
Before I get into the deets, letās talk about what temperature your wines should be.
Wine Serving Temperatures
Sweet
Now, weāre not talking white zin here. This is your noble rot or late harvest wines like Sauternes and Eiswein (or icewine). You want these babies nice and frosty at 43-45Ā° F (6-8Ā° C).
Sparkling
If youāre popping the bubbly (Champagne, Cava, Prosecco) for a special occasion, brunch mimosas, or a random Tuesday, make sure itās a well-chilled 43-50Ā° F (6-10Ā° C). And keep it in the fridge between glasses.
Light-Bodied Whites
Many people over-chill whites, but this masks the aromas and flavors. If the wine doesnāt have any flavor, itās probably too cold (which might be a good thing if itās a cheapo bottle). For lighter whites ā like Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio ā chill it to slightly warmer than fridge temperature at 45-50Ā° F (7-10Ā° C).
Full-Bodied and/or Oaked Whites
For your heavier whites like Chardonnay and Viognier, these can be sipped even a little warmer. Go for a light chill at 50-55Ā° F (10-13Ā° C).
Light-Bodied Reds
I have to admit I used to tease my mom for drinking her red wine straight out of the fridge. But she was on to something because yes, you should chill red wines! Especially light ones like Beaujolais and Pinot Noir. Donāt go too cold, though, or theyāll taste thin and harsh (like way harsh, Tai). Aim for around 55Ā° F (13Ā° C).
Full-Bodied Red
These bold buddies, like Cabernet, Merlot, or Port, should be imbibed at room temperature. No, this does not mean your house temperature (unless youāre my husband, who likes our thermostat at arctic chill level). Go for 59-64Ā° F (15-18Ā° C).
If youāre thinking, woah, woah, woahā¦that was a lot of info, well hereās a handy-dandy wine serving temperature chart to keep in your back pocket.
And since Iām not one to be sticking a thermometer in my wine on the reg, I just remember these 3 things:
- Serve sweet and sparkling wines right out of the fridge.
- Take your whites out a half hour before drinking them.
- Put your reds in the fridge a half hour before drinking them.
Okay, letās get down to business.
Hereās How to Chill Wine Fast
This is the best way Iāve found to get your wine cool quickly.
Step 1
Get a bucket. Ideally an ice bucket like this.
But you can be creative if you donāt have one ā a mixing bowl, a stock pot, a large flower planterā¦the possibilities are endless!
Step 2
Fill the ice bucket (or bucket-like thing) three-quarters of the way full of equal parts ice and water.
This works better than just ice because air acts as an insulator. With just ice, the bottle wonāt really chill much until some of the ice has melted.
Make sure the bottle is fully surrounded by ice water.
Step 3
Now this part is the secret trick. Ready for it? Add salt.
Why does this work? Salt lowers the freezing point of water. This means that salt water can get a lot colder than regular water. Colder water = a frosty glass in your hand sooner.
How much salt should you add? About 1-2 cups (or more if you went with a big bucket).
And if you really want to speed up the chilling, you can stir the ice water every couple of minutes. This helps circulate the warmer water around the bottle with the cooler water elsewhere in the bucket.
Now sit back and relax, because this puppyās going to be icy cold in about 10 minutes.
Pin for Later!
Want to know the difference between mead vs. wine? Find out here.
Love sharing your love of wine? Grab one of these 111 inspirational wine quotes to use in your social media caption. And then check out these 200 wine hashtags to grow your reach.
Whatās your favorite chilled bevy to drink?
Leave a Reply