Chilling Wine Quickly

Tip 1: How to Chill a Bottle Fast

It's a hot late summer's day and several thirsty friends have just popped around unannounced. Unfortunately for you, you finished off your last cold bottle of white yesterday. Not a problem! Simply stick your wine bottle in a bucket. Fill the bucket half with ice, half with water, covering as much of the bottle as possible. Then add a generous handful of salt to the water: this causes the temperature to drop faster. After ten minutes, the wine will have dropped more than ten degrees.

Tip 2: Once Opened, Wine Lasts...

• 1-2 DAYS for light white and red wines such as Riesling and Pinot Noir; sparkling and pink wines
  
  
• 3-4 DAYS for fuller-bodied reds and whites such as Shiraz and Chardonnay; sweet white wines
• 
  1-2 WEEKS for pale dry Sherry and vintage Port
• 
  3 MONTHS for tawny Port, Muscat, Tokay and sweet Sherry.

Tips 1 and 2 are from Max Allen's,The Really Useful Pocket Wine Book.