A friend graciously brings a bottle of champagne or wine to your New Year's eve party. The problem? It's warm. Your internal Veruca Salt is screaming, "I want my wine — and I want it now!" Don't panic — or stash the bottle in the freezer for the next 45 minutes. We've got a better way.
Jeff Rossen, NBC News National Investigative Correspondent and host of Rossen Reports, has two too-good-to-be-true tricks for getting that bottle of wine chilled and in your wine glass or on the table — stat.
The Paper Towel Method
How long? 15 to 20 minutes
Step 1: Take a few sheets of paper towels and run them through some water.
Step 2: Shake off the excess water and wrap the towels around the bottle.
Step 3: Pop the bottle in the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes and — presto — your bottle is perfectly chilled.
The Ice Bath Method
How long? Two minutes (seriously)
Step 1: Create an ice bath in a bucket with water and ice.
Step 2: Put two tablespoons of salt into the ice bath and mix it around.
Step 3: Place the bottle in the ice bath, wait two minutes and your wine is chilled!
What exactly is happening here, you ask? The salt is creating a chemical reaction that lowers the freezing point of the ice water, which helps the wine chill faster. Genius!
For more tips like these, click here to pre-order Jeff's new book 'Rossen to the Rescue.'
