The 5 Fastest Ways To Chill A Bottle Of Wine

You'll never have to suffer through a lukewarm glass again.

There are few things worse than lukewarm wine. Whether you're opening up a hostess gift, don't own a wine fridge, or forgot to cool a bottle ahead of time, pouring a glass that's not at the optimal temperature can seriously sour your drinking experience.

But just because your wine is warm doesn't mean you should give up entirely. Thankfully, there are multiple ways to cool down your bottle that won't test your patience. So we've rounded up the five fastest methods to drop the temperature of your wine without sacrificing flavor. And the best part? Most of these tricks use tools that you already have at home.

An ice bucket may seem like the obvious choice. But there’s a good chance you’re using it wrong. It works even more effectively when you add salt to your ice water. Salt lowers the freezing point of water, which more ice can melt and absorb the warmth of your wine.

If you add your bottle to a bucket of salty ice water (around 1 cup of plain table salt will do the trick), your wine will reach the ideal temperature in a matter of minutes. Pro tip: if you want to speed up the process even more, frequently move the bottle around in the bucket.

This is the most hands-off method to bring down the temperature of a bottle of wine. It’s incredibly straightforward: simply wrap a damp paper towel around your bottle and pop it in the freezer. You should achieve a cellar-level chill in as little as 15 minutes. We’d recommend this trick specifically for red wines, since white wines would require much more time in the freezer to reach the optimal temperature.

Everybody knows that using ice cubes to chill wine is a major faux pas. The reason why we avoid adding ice directly to our glass is that once it melts, it dilutes the wine and weakens the overall flavor. But there are other frozen things that you can pop into your wine that will maintain its integrity. The most affordable and accessible option? Frozen grapes.

Once the frozen grapes thaw in the glass, it brings down the temperature of your wine without incorporating extra water. And as an added bonus, you can eat the grapes once you’re done!

What happens when you open up a bottle of wine only to discover that it’s unpleasantly warm? Rather than attempting to shove the cork back in and hope it doesn’t spill in the freezer, the VoChill can drop the temperature of your wine while it’s in your glass!

These sleek accessories use a frozen cradle to chill your glass of wine in between sips. We’ve tried it in our office and noticed that it brought our wine down 15 degrees in just five minutes.

Okay, none of these options work for you, but don’t despair. There is one last resort that can still get the job done—albeit not in a particularly sophisticated or graceful way. You can still chill wine quickly by decanting it into a resealable, gallon-sized plastic bag and popping it in the freezer.

Because the surface area is increased in the bag compared to the bottle, it’ll cool down much faster. We recommend using a funnel to transfer the chilled wine into a container that’s easier to pour. Or you can relive your college glory days by slapping the bag. It’s ultimately up to you.

What's your favorite way to chill a bottle of wine? Let us know in the comments.

Gabby Romero is Delish’s editorial assistant, where she writes stories about the latest TikTok trends, develops recipes, and answers any and all of your cooking-related questions. She loves eating spicy food, collecting cookbooks, and adding a mountain of Parmesan to any dish she can.

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