How to Quickly Chill Wine

We’ve all been there. You’ve got guests headed over and you forgot to get wine into your fridge for a full 90 minutes. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Here are a few tried and true ways for how to quickly chill wine for you and your guests ASAP!

Ice, water, and salt method

Works for a bottle or multiple bottles. Pour a small amount of ice into an ice bucket, add a bit of water and salt, then mix. Place the well-spaced bottles of wine into the bucket, and cover with more ice, water, and top with layer of salt. (Either stir the mixture or spin the bottles every few minutes for an even quicker chilling effect!) Wines should be chilled within 10-15 minutes; 5 mins for red wine.

Freezer method

Dampen a thin cloth or paper towel in cool water, wrap the towel around the bottle of wine, and place it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes (5 minutes for chilled red). Make sure you put a timer on – you don’t want a mess in the freezer if a cork pops or glass breaks!

Single glass method

Chill the glass, not the wine. Don’t need to chill a whole bottle, but just want a chilled glass for yourself? Or maybe your friends like their red wine room temperature while you prefer it slightly chilled? Add ice to the glass, swirl for a minute or so, remove ice, then pour wine. Easy! For a faster, cooler chill, add some water to the mixture and swirl. Just make sure you shake out all the water and give it a “wine rinse” before pouring your full glass. 

Check out our blog on Red Wines for Summer for more tips on how to quickly chill wine with frozen wine cubes!

And check out our DIY Wine Chiller for more entertaining inspiration!

Cheers!