HOW TO COOL DOWN WINE QUICKLY
The smell that comes out of the kitchen whets the appetite, the table is well laid and guests are coming. Everything is ready for the dinner on the terrace you were waiting for a long time. Now you can finally use your brand new outdoor table, causing once more wonder and admiration among diners. The wine has been carefully selected to best match each course. Everything is going great, when your conscience hits you with a sudden thought: no one put the wine in the fridge.
It is a tragedy unfolding quickly and quietly. Discouragement (and friends) are around the corner. And now? Do not panic, chemistry comes to the help with a quick and effective solution. Take a wine cooler and position the bottle, then add ice, salt and a small amount of water. Why salt? Salt facilitates the melting of the ice through osmosis. It reduces the solidification process of water, thus it facilitates the transition from solid to liquid state. This is why salt is spread on roads when temperatures are extremely cold.
People giving a hand in the preparation of the meal will probably object “The salt will melt the ice too quickly”, implying that it will reduce the cooling capacity of the ice itself, however the dissolution is just what we want! This way the water temperature will drop quickly below zero and just after a few minutes, it will cool the wine and save your dinner.
Since prevention is better than cure, always remember to store a plastic bottle filled with water and plenty of salt in the freezer. The saline solution will remain liquid even in the freezer, then if necessary you’ll get a several degrees below zero liquid, ready to be used to quickly cool one or more bottles of wine.