10 Sneaky Tricks Every Wine Drinker Needs to Know
- Chill Wine With Grapes
- Sweeten It Up
- Freeze Leftovers
- Filter Out Cork Pieces
- Open a Bottle With a Drill
- Make a Slushie
- Cool Down With Towels
- Infuse With Fruit Flavor
- Make a Muffin Tin “Tray”
- Recork With Plastic Wrap
These ideas will make opening, storing, and (most importantly) drinking your beverage better.
Chill Wine With Grapes
It’s simple: Wash your fruit, then pop’em into the freezer for five to six hours. They act like an ice cube, but won’t melt and dilute your drink — plus they’re a tasty snack afterwards.
Sweeten It Up
For a summer treat, drop a colorful ice pop into your glass of white wine. Just consider yourself warned: You’ll want to try every flavor in the your box before summer ends.
Freeze Leftovers
The only catch? You’re not going to want to serve these reserves at your next book club. This hack is more for cooking purposes when you need a splash here and there for a saucy concoctions.
Filter Out Cork Pieces
So you accidentally crumbled part of your cork into your brand-new bottle of pinot. No worries! Just fit a triangle style coffee filter over a glass, then pour. All the nasty bits will be caught in the paper, not your glass.
Open a Bottle With a Drill
If you’re a DIY type that has tools closer at hand than a corkscrew, this tip’s for you. Just use a power drill to insert a screw into the top, then tug the cork out with a hammer.
Make a Slushie
For a grown-up twist on a summer staple, use everyone’s favorite pink wine. It’s as easy as freezing rosé in an ice cube tray, then blending it up the next day.
Cool Down With Towels
Don’t settle for warm white wine. Dampen a paper towel, wrap it around the bottle, then pop it in the freezer for a few minutes. You’ll be shocked by how quickly it cools down.
Infuse With Fruit Flavor
If you want to try the fruit trick, but add a little oomph, use frozen blackberries, cherries, or pineapple. It adds color and sweetness to your already tasty glass.
Make a Muffin Tin “Tray”
If you’re hosting a group, don’t take multiple trips back to the kitchen to hand out all of your beverages. A muffin tin will hold 12 small plastic glasses at one time — and it’s as close to spill-proof as you can get.
Recork With Plastic Wrap
So you didn’t finish your bottle (there’s always tomorrow!). If you want to reuse your cork, wrap it in plastic wrap first to help it glide back in with ease.