The Best Way to Chill Wine, According to Science

The doorbell rings, your guests are here, and—uh-oh—you forgot to chill the wine. Don't worry! This science-backed method is the best way to cool vino quickly and it works like magic. There's a reason why sommeliers in high-end restaurants submerge bottles in ice water: water is about 25 times more efficient a thermal conductor than air. Adding salt lowers the water's freezing point, which makes the cooling process even more efficient.

The key here is to make sure your wine is 100% submerged in the ice water. If the top of your bottle of bubbly is sticking out in the open air, the first glass or two will still be warm. Another smart trick is to wrap your bottle with plastic wrap to protect the label (otherwise you'll be staring at a soggy picture of Napa on a pricey bottle of Chardonnay).

Whether you're entertaining with white, rosé, or orange wine, this trick will cool your harried-host jets—and your wine—in no time.

What You Need

• wine bucket, ice, cold water, bottle of wine, salt, stirring spoon

Follow These Steps

1. Add ice to the bucket with your wine bottle inside.
   Fill it until it reaches the top of your wine bottle.
2. Pour cold water over the ice.
   It should just cover the cubes.
3. Sprinkle in some salt.
   One hefty handful should do it.
4. Gently stir to incorporate the salt.
   The wine should be ready to serve in 25 to 30 minutes. Make sure the bottle is completely submerged in the ice water. When you pull it out, wipe the bottle well to remove all salt before opening it.
   
   Tip: To keep a bottle cool, strap an ice pack onto wine with a rubber band. Wrap a tea towel around both to disguise your wine cooler.