These are the times that try men’s souls. And women’s, and non-binary folks. Errybody really.
How do we keep our wine cool on a hot day without ruining the flavor?
All right, this is a little out there, but bear with me.
Yes. This is a plastic fake ice cube, part of a set I found at ALDI for about $10. They’re filled with distilled water. After you freeze them, drop them in a drink, and it keeps it nice and cold for a while. Then you just wash them off and refreeze.
You get about 30 in a pack, and there are 5 or 6 different colors. So you could even use them as little drink markers for a small crowd. Who had the blue!
There’s no water on the outside (I pat mine dry to make sure), so there’s no risk of diluting the wine. Could this work?
Our test subject for today, 2021 Chateau Ducasse Bordeaux Blanc.
Most of the Bordeaux we’re familiar with are red blends, but as WineFolly says, a very small part of the region produces whites. Typically they’re a blend of semillon and sauvignon blanc.
The temperature of my glass after taking it out of the fridge was 54°.
I then, with extreme science, plopped a clear globe in my glass. You know, not to mess with the color of the wine. I’m not a total philistine, come on.
The temp was about 55° right after I dropped it in. I left the orb in the glass for 30 minutes, on my kitchen counter, in a room that was around 77°. Science is numbery.
Not only did it maintain temperature, it dropped about 5 degrees!
I actually preferred the wine at the temp it was when I first poured it, but on a hot day, this will definitely save you from overheated wine. The body felt smoother and a little richer before chilling, while the prominent lime note remained.
This has lots of clean acidity, and would go great with sushi, chilled shellfish, maybe some chicken salad. I’d definitely keep some of this on hand for summertime entertaining. And if you’re looking for a fun way to chill your wine, you could do worse than these little doodads. Stay cool!