Al Fresco Dining (Drinking): 3 Brilliant Tricks To Chill a Bottle of Wine FAST

Like all Irish weather, it seems to come up and slap you in the face when you're least expecting it. Two weeks ago we had the central heating on from dawn-'til-dusk, now it's 22 degrees and everyone's pulling out the bbq for a spot of al fresco eats and drinks. And why the hell not.  But wait, you're not quite prepared, the Rosé is still in a box under the stairs, and the neighbours have dropped in for a little drinkie! No sweat, this is all you need to know: 1. The tea-towel approach Grab a kitchen tea-towel, wet it under the sink, but don't wet it completely. Wrap it around the bottle of wine, pop it in the freezer, and in 10-15 minutes it's spot-on and ready to pour. Simples! It's so easy, the wetness in the towel helps speed up the freezing process. You can apply it to beer bottles too. 2. Frozen fruit If you've no room in the freezer, try popping in some frozen fruit – they'll chill that baby right up, and they'll also add a bit of sweetness as they defrost. We suggest some of these oh-so-good pairings: Prosecco + frozen strawberries Chardonnay + frozen peaches Reisling +frozen blackberries Pint Grigio +frozen pineapple ANY wine + frozen grapes 3. Wine cubes Never (like, ever!) throw away good wine leftover from the night before. Pop some in an ice-cube tray and have them ready for cooking or popping into warm wine when you need it. So easy if you have a sliver of room left in your freezer. Need more wine-spiration? It might be the weekend to try the Wine Slushie? These bad-boy recipes are getting the serious green light from anyone who has tried them. *If you have a cheapy bottle of wine, try this genius hack to make it taste better in minutes. Now, dust off the deck chairs and pour yourself a little sharpener. Consider the permission given!