It’s a tale as old as time: the guests have finally arrived and it’s time to pop that, OH NO. Somebody forgot to chill the wine. No, don’t put it in the freezer. Fear not, Sam Falewee is hear to save you with 3 super quick fixes.
Shake it like a… well, yup.
1) Get salty: if you’re using a bucket of ice, add a handful of salt and water. This combination causes more ice to melt, just like salting the roads. This results in a more quickly chilled wine. Just know that if you’re enjoying a nice Veuve Cliquot and want to save the label, the salt will quickly eat away at it.
That should do it.
2) Go outside: with temperatures easily hitting the “freezing my ass off” range in winter, leave your bottle outside a window sill, doorstep, or outside garage as a natural way to chill your juice without taking up space inside — just make sure you don’t have thirsty neighbors.
3) Treat your bottle like a baby: Is it cold enough yet?? Who knows? Use the back of your hand to feel the bottle before you open it, like you would with a child’s forehead. From there you can guesstimate: the bottle should be lightly cool to the touch and definitely not freezing.
