With this weekend set to be a scorcher, staying hydrated is of utmost importance – and no, we’re not talking about water.*
*But please do drink plenty of water. That is quite important. Make sure you drink alcohol responsibly, too.
A summer heatwave means BBQs and picnics galore, with plenty of wine to be had.
Sitting back with an ice cold glass of vino in the sunshine is what dreams are made of, but keeping wine cold or indeed getting it cold in the first place can be tricky when temperatures soar.
Luckily, the people at mydomaine.com have pulled through – they’ve spoken to a master sommelier Brian McClintic to get all the wine cooling answers we need.
As well as plenty of ice, Brian says there’s one key ingredient wine lovers should take note of.
He said: ‘An ice water bath with plenty of salt. Works like a charm.
‘The full bottle should be submerged. It’s hard to say how much salt — let’s just say a liberal amount.
‘What happens is the bottle is encased in ice and therefore comes down in temperature much more quickly.”
This is because salt creates a chemical reaction that lowers the freezing point of the water. So a sprinkling of sodium will significantly drop the temperature – helping the wine chill faster.
Brian said: ‘To speed up the process, give the bottle a spin when submerged.’
Of course, using ice cubes on their own will work too – just expect to be waiting a little longer for the wine to chill.
Whatever your tipple – be it rosé, white or sparkling – there’s no need to worry about warm wine again.
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