The Best and Fastest Ways to Chill Sparkling Wine

Does your house look more like one of those many wine shops you frequent like mine does?  And if you’re also like me and don’t have a hand wine cellar in my house to keep wine and bubbly at an ideal temperature, these might be some helpful tips for you.

Bubbly is best enjoyed cold, at the right temperature according to the experts.  And here’s your handy cheat sheet on the the suggested temperature range to enjoy each type of bubbly.  

Keep in mind, that the warmer your bubbly the bigger the bubbles. For those who don’t love carbonation because of the bubbles, chill their bubbly a bit more.  And if you need to “get rid” of even more bubbles, serve the bubbly in a champagne coupe not a flute.  Why?  Check out this blog post all about the different bubbly glasses and which one is the perfect one for you to use.

Experts tell us to not keep bubbly in the fridge too long, as it will affect your bubbles.  Thankfully “too long” usually means months or years.  But let’s be honest, I always have a bottle or two in my refrigerator (and sometimes it’s been months) and it’s always been fine, but in reality, it’s best that you chill it right before enjoying it.

Is there a best way to get the temperature of the wine to the optimal temperature in record time to enjoy that glass of cold sparkling wine?  I don’t know about a best way, but here are four options.

4 Easy Ways to get a Perfectly Chilled Bottle

I know I always have a bottle (or more) in the refrigerator because you never know when an impromptu celebration will happen and you need to pop a bottle. But there have been many times that I don’t want the type of wine that I have chilled and want to quickly chill a different bottle.  

Is there a proper way to chill wine?  According to the experts there is.  But honestly find the wine-chilling process that is easiest for you in the amount of time you have.  Here are four different ways to chill that bottle of wine in record time.

Freezer Method

If you’re in a pinch, 40-50 minutes in the freezer will get your bottle to the proper temperature.  If you’re grabbing room temperature wine, you may need a little bit longer in the freezer.  And if you are opening and closing the freezer door, it will take longer amount of time to chill it to the proper temperature.  

While the freezer is often not the preferred way, it often times is the most efficient way.  Admittedly, I almost always do this.  What can I say, I’m impatient (and don’t want to make a mess with a bucket) and am usually using this method because I changed my mind last minute on what bubbly I wanted to enjoy.

If I’m really in a hurry, I do bury it in this ice bucket. And if the bottle directly on ice for your drinks weirds you out, put the bottle in a ziploc bag or wrap in plastic wrap.

And this goes without saying, set a timer to remind yourself that the bottle is in there.  I may or may not be guilty of not doing this step because it’s only 30 minutes and I’ll be sure to remember, but then you get busy with all the last minute prep a bottle of champagne is not fun when you hear that loud pop coming from the freezer. 

Wet Cloth Method

If you want to speed up the freezer wine-chilling process, wrap the bottle in a wet towel, either a dish towel or paper towels and then place it horizontally in your freezer. 

It’s important that you don’t have this paper towel dripping wet. A damp paper towel or kitchen towel will work just fine.

Some people worry the label will come off since you’re using a wet towel.  I have never experienced this, but plastic wrap will protect the label if you’re want to protect the label.

Refrigerator Method

This is one of the preferred way, but you need to make sure you have the time to do so. Place a bottle in the fridge for about 3 to 3 and half hours to get to the proper serving temperature (again, that all depends on how much you’re opening and closing that door). 

Now, if you have a wine fridge, that is a great way to have cold wine whenever you want it.  My only struggle with a wine refrigerator is that they are always designed for for horizontal bottle which is fine for a wine bottle, but I have always been taught to leave your sparkling wine vertical.  So to find a wine fridge that you can stand up that champagne bottle is usually a bit challenging.  

Ice Bucket or Ice Bath Method

For most experts, this is the preferred method and the fastest way to chill your bubbly. 

This can be done in an ice bucket or the kitchen sink.  You’re going to create a mixture of ice cubes, water and salt to quickly lower the temperature of the wine.  If you’re chilling one bottle of bubbly, a couple tablespoons of salt or handful of salt will do while if you’re chilling multiple bottles, you might need up to 2 cups of salt.  

When I do this, I basically fill fill the wine bucket or sink with enough ice to fill the whole thing, then I add water and while filling with water, I add a handful of salt.  I don’t go crazy measuring perfect amounts.

The addition of salt, does help speed this process up, but don’t worry if you don’t have the salt available.  You can still do this with just an ice water bath, but it will take a bit longer than 20 minutes.  

TIP:  If you’re worried about the label coming off while it’s soaking in the ice cold water, wrap it in plastic wrap first. 

Now that you have your bottle of bubbly at the perfect temperature, it’s time to pour the first glass of wine (someone has to verify that it’s cold enough) and enjoy.  To keep it chilled, place that bottle in a champagne bucket for easy access or simply put it back into the refrigerator with a stopper or spoon.

How to Store a Bottle of Bubbly

The great debate:  do you store bubbly standing up or on it’s side like you do still wine?  

I know I have a several bottles of wine and bubbly that need a home until I am ready to chill them and enjoy.  And I have heard mixed opinions on how you store the room-temperature bottle of bubbly.  

Winemakers in Spain told me to always store my cava standing up because unlike wine, you don’t need to keep the cork from drying out.  I have listened to that advice since I received it.  

Does that mean the wrong way to store bubbly is on its side?  Well, I don’t have proof that it is or isn’t.  I just tend to stick with what I learned in Spain.

TIP:  Never and I do mean never store your bubbly (or any wine or liquor for that matter) on top of your refrigerator.  

While it’s very convenient to do, those bottles will be agitated every single time a door is open or closed.  And that will certainly not do your bubbly any favors.  

Not to mention, the kitchen is typically the warmest place in your house and heat rises so storing bubbly (or wine) and temperatures that are too warm will affect the taste and longevity of the bottle.

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