It’s summer, the barbecue is about to start, everything seems idyllic… But you’re panicking because your bottle of wine is much too hot and will make your friends think you’re an alcoholic and a wine lover! Don’t panic, we’ve put together a reminder to get you out of these tricky situations.

First, at what temperature should you serve your wines?

Depending on the type of wine you are going to open, the serving temperature varies:

• The structured red wines should be served at around 16°-17°.
• The thirst-quenching red wines should be served at around 14°-15°.
• The rosé wines and dry white wines should be served at around 10°-11°.
• The sweet white wines should be served at around 11°-12°.
• The champagnes should be served at around 9°-10°.

How to refresh wine quickly?

Now that you know at what temperature to cool it, let’s get down to business. First of all, it all depends on how much time you have.

More than two hours early

If you have more than two hours, put your wine in the fridge and check the temperature regularly (at least every half-hour), otherwise you risk ending up with a wine whose balance has been totally destructured.

Between one and two hours early

If you have more than one or two hours, wrap your wine in a cloth soaked in cold water (wet cloth speeds up chilling) and place in the fridge. Check the wine temperature every half-hour for opulent red and white wines.

Less than an hour early

If you have less than an hour, which is probably the case for you, we come to the emergency solutions.

The most classic solution is to place your bottle (for varying lengths of time, depending on the serving temperature required) in a tub with a mixture of water, ice cubes and salt. Melting ice absorbs the heat contained in the wine bottle, and thanks to the salt, the ice melts even faster.

If you’re a wine connoisseur, you can buy a refreshing sommelier sock. Keep these socks in your freezer, and when you need to refresh a wine, put them on. It won’t melt under heat or soak the bottle. What’s more, it stays active for several hours, so you can serve with it!

For bottles of champagne or white/rosé wine, place them 20-30 minutes ahead of time in the freezer, surrounded by a cloth soaked in water.

In hot weather, or if you don’t have time to chill your wine, you can also cool your glasses with ice cubes. Simply place two or three in each glass and swirl to cool the sides. Discard them just before pouring in the wine.

Now it’s time for System D!

• If you have a fresh water source in your garden, you can place your bottles there, surrounded by your son’s buoys, and that’s it! Wait about ten minutes and the bottle should be cool.
• Used by Bedouins and nomads accustomed to the desert, this technique involves wrapping your bottle in a wet cloth and exposing it to the sun. As it dries, the tea towel will absorb the heat from the wine bottle. Be careful, this is a meticulous operation, and poor timing can heat up your bottle.

Photo by zero take / Unsplash