Getting ready to unwind with your special someone or your friends? A bottle of champagne or red wine can surely lighten up your mood after a stressful day.

But wine is always best served chilled, and nothing is more annoying than you and your date having to wait for it while it bides its time in the refrigerator or in the ice bucket.

Freezer, you say?

I am not entirely confident about putting a bottle of wine in the freezer. Somehow I am confused as some say it is perfectly okay to do so, while other claim it would ruin the wine.

Take for example this article on Wine Lovers Page:

My advice, although it may shock those who regard wine with sacramental reverence, is simple: Stick the bottle in the coldest part of your freezer, or immerse it in a small bucket or other vessel filled with water and ice.

Contrary to popular belief, wine is not all that fragile, and shoving your wine into a home refrigerator freezer (or the icy embrace of a frosty bucket) won’t do it any damage at all.

Wine Lovers Page, 30 Second Wine Advisor: Quick chill

On the other hand, Chow.com states that

A bottle of wine takes close to two hours to chill in the refrigerator. Sticking it in the freezer will speed things up, but this is rough treatment for delicate wines.

Chow.com, How to Chill a Bottle of Wine Quickly

Is there any other way than the freezer?

The answer is yes, I have some tricks up my sleeve to help you chill your wine bottle quickly.

Chill a Bottle of Wine in Less than 20 Minutes

• Get a bucket or any tall container. Not an ice bucket, because ice buckets are not tall enough.
• Place the bottle inside the bucket.
• Lay some ice at the bottom of the container around the bottle. Then sprinkle a few tablespoons of salt (Kosher salt works best).
• Continue to add ice and salt until it reaches the neck of the bottle.
• Fill the container with tepid water.

Follow the above-mentioned steps and your wine will be chilled in no time.

What about you? Do you have other tips on how to chill wine or champagne bottles quickly? Let the community know by commenting on this post or by emailing me at blog@mommymakeitbetter.com. I’d be so happy to hear from you.