The Right Way to Use an Ice Bucket

• June 28, 2026
• Wine

You'd think it'd be obvious ...

by Erin Henderson

As we approach the sticky, sweaty days of July, many wine experts are recommending various activities with an, "ice cold glass of ...." Fill in the blank here. Rosé, Champagne, Chablis ... as long as it's ice cold, we're good to go in the southern Ontario humidity. 

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One teensy, weensy problem. 

Most people don't know how to use an ice bucket. 

Now, you're probably thinking, whatever, Erin, you condescending twat. You take a bucket, fill it with ice, and that's your ice bucket. 

Not so quick, Slick.

How many times have you been at a restaurant and the server brings a bucket brimming with ice and tries to jam the bottle into it? Be honest. It happens all the time. And eventually the wine bottle just sort of perches on top of ice mountain, nothing more than the bottom few inches submerged. 

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But even that portion of the bottle won't really chill optimally. 

It all has to do with science and molecules and oxygen and heat exchange, and things I don't really worry too much about, but if you want to have an ice-cold glass of (fill in the blank here) in a matter of minutes, do as I say. 

The 5 steps to chilling your wine properly

1. Get a good-sized bucket large enough to hold the wine bottle. Doesn't have to be Baccarat crystal, but it does need to be big enough for the bottle. 
2. Place the wine bottle in the empty bucket. 
3. Pour ice around the bottle, about halfway up.  
4. Sprinkle in a palm full of salt. 
5. Fill the rest of the bucket, up the neck of the bottle, with cold water. 

Why this works: 

Ice and water are colder than just ice alone. It's science. But adding a good portion of salt to the water creates a brining solution that allows the water to get even colder than freezing, without, uh, actually freezing. 

All this means is your rosé goes from tepid room temperature to ice cold deliciousness in under 15 minutes. 

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