Expert Tips for Storing and Chilling Wine

As a producer of premium wines, Kerr Cellars has learned a few practical tips for storing and serving wine. The ideas below are helpful for anyone, regardless of your wine storage capacity at home. They have proven useful in many situations, whether a temperature-controlled wine cellar is available or not, and we hope you’ll find them just as valuable.

Tip: How to keep wine cool without a wine cellar or fridge

One of the best discoveries came during an exceptionally hot summer in Australia. A cherished Penfolds collection was being stored in an apartment that was nearly as warm inside as it was outside. Many tactics were tried to keep the bottles cool—from wrapping them in aluminum foil to covering them in towels, even attempting storage in the bathtub (not recommended). That’s when the idea of using terracotta pots emerged.

It might sound unusual, but it works. Terracotta pots, available at most home improvement stores, are made of porous clay, which is naturally cooling. This method has been used to keep food and beverages cool long before refrigeration. Place a towel over the pot with the wine inside to protect it from sunlight, and for extra cooling, add a small amount of sand and water to the bottom of the pot. The evaporation cools the inside even further. This trick can also be used as overflow storage for wine that won’t fit in a Eurocave.

Tip: How to preserve the label on a wine bottle

Labels often fade or lose their adhesive over time. This tip is especially useful for a very special signed bottle that should remain intact—such as a bottle of 2015 Kerr Cellars Reserve Red signed by Cristie Kerr. Even in a temperature-controlled cellar, extra protection is beneficial. Wrapping the entire bottle in cling wrap will protect the label and wine for years. This method has been used for years and works perfectly.

Tip: How to quickly chill a bottle of wine

It’s a familiar scenario—being in the mood for a crisp glass of Sauvignon Blanc with none chilled. Waiting for a bottle to cool in the fridge takes too long, and using the freezer can be risky. Instead, fill an ice bucket halfway with cold tap water and then to the brim with ice. Submerge the bottle in the ice water and sprinkle the top generously with salt. Kosher salt works best, but any salt will do. The salt reacts with the ice water mixture, snap-freezing the top of the ice bucket. Wine will be perfectly chilled in just 10–15 minutes.

Tip: How to quickly chill a glass of red wine

This trick came from a rare summer day in London. A bottle of 1995 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande was opened—a truly great wine of Bordeaux. It had all the right signs of brilliance, but was too warm to fully enjoy. The solution was to place a fresh, empty glass in the freezer for 15 minutes, then pour the wine into the chilled glass. This immediately brought the wine to the perfect temperature. It’s a method used many times since, with consistently excellent results.

Wine is one of those extraordinary pleasures worth enjoying properly, and sometimes that means getting creative. At Kerr Cellars, we believe that where there’s a will to enjoy great wine, there’s always a way to do it well.