Wine Tips and Tricks From a Wine Expert

From picking bottles to chilling them fast, here are my favourite top 20 wine tips and tricks you’ll actually use.

Over the years, I’ve sipped my way through countless tastings, chatted with sommeliers, taken classes (and plenty of notes), and picked up some brilliant wine tips along the way. Some are proper expert advice. Some are clever party tricks. And some are just plain genius (you’ll never look at your salad spinner the same way again).

So, here it is: my collection of wine wisdom gathered over bottles and bites, flights and fails. Oh, but before we move on, why should you listen to me? Well, I hold a WSET Level 2 and 3 Award in Wines and absolutely adore a good tip, trick, and hack.

1. Chill Red Wine (Yes, Really)

Red wine isn’t always meant to be served at room temperature. That phrase actually refers to the room temperature of a 17th-century French château, not your overheated apartment.

Lighter reds like Pinot Noir, Gamay, and Barbera taste amazing slightly chilled. Pop them in the fridge for 15–20 minutes before serving. You’ll get brighter fruit flavours, and they will be more refreshing, especially on warmer days.

2. Chill Wine Quickly With a Wet Towel Hack

Need to chill a bottle fast? Wrap it in a wet tea towel and stick it in the freezer for 10–15 minutes. The moisture speeds up the chilling process. Just don’t forget about it (we’ve all had a bottle explode).

Alternatively, throw the bottle into an ice bucket with water and salt. Salt lowers the freezing point and chills the bottle faster. That’s science, baby!

3. Use a Salad Spinner to Chill Small Bottles

This one is bonkers but brilliant. Put a mini bottle or can of wine in your salad spinner surrounded by ice, water, and a pinch of salt. Spin for 2–3 minutes, et voilà: ice-cold wine.

Also works for cans of G&T, but that’s a different blog post.

4. Don’t Pair Wine with Chocolate (Unless You Do It Right)

Here’s the thing: chocolate is actually quite tricky to pair with wine. The tannins in red wine can clash with the bitterness of dark chocolate, making everything taste off.

The trick? Go for a sweet wine with a sweet dessert. Try Port with dark chocolate, Brachetto d’Acqui with berries, or sparkling rosé with strawberry cake. Trust me, it’ll change your wine-and-dessert game.

5. Clean Glasses with Hot Water Only

Avoid washing your wine glasses with washing-up liquid, especially if you’re using posh ones. Soap can leave a residue that ruins the aroma of your wine.

Instead, rinse with very hot water, air dry, and polish with a lint-free cloth. Bonus wine tips and tricks… I use an old cotton t-shirt to dry my wine glasses.

6. Decant Cheap Wine (It Makes a Big Difference)

This is one of my best wine tips and tricks. Got a bargain bottle that tastes a bit tight or harsh? Pour it into a decanter, or anything big and wide, like a jug or vase, and give it 30 minutes to breathe. This softens the tannins and helps the flavours open up.

No decanter? Swirl it like you mean it. Even 30 seconds of swirling in a big glass can help.

7. Use Leftover Wine in Ice Cube Trays

Got a splash of wine left that you don’t want to waste? Pour it into an ice cube tray and freeze it. Later, use the cubes in sauces, stews, or risotto.

Bonus: frozen rosé cubes make fab additions to summer cocktails.

8. How Much Is a Glass of Wine, Really?

Most people overpour. A standard wine pour is 125ml–150ml. That means one 750ml bottle equals 5 to 6 glasses of wine. If you want to keep track of how much you’re serving (or drinking), use a measuring jug. You’ll be surprised.

9. Don’t Sniff Corks. Sniff the Wine.

No one cares what the cork smells like. It tells you nothing. What you should do is check the wine itself for anything funky (wet cardboard = corked). Always trust your nose, not the cork. Cork taint often manifests as a musty, mouldy, or damp cellar-like odour, which can make the wine undrinkable. Approximately 1-7% of wines bottled with natural corks are estimated to be “corked” due to the chemical compound 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA).

10. Flat Sparkling Wine? Add a Raisin.

If your bubbly has lost its fizz, drop a single raisin into the bottle. It gives the bubbles something to cling to and can kickstart a bit of sparkle again. It won’t be perfect, but it’s a fun party trick.

11. Keep Wine Cool With Frozen Grapes

Hot day? Warm glass of wine? Pop a few frozen grapes into your glass. They’ll chill your wine without watering it down like ice would. Plus, you get a little frozen fruity treat at the end. A bonus snack if you will!

12. Cushion Bottles with Socks When Travelling

Heading to a dinner party or stashing bottles in your suitcase? Wrap your wine in clean sports socks to stop them from clinking (or worse, smashing). It’s budget-friendly, effective, and a good use for that odd sock with no mate.

13. Add Leftover Wine to Pasta Sauce

Don’t chuck that last splash of wine! Pour it into your tomato sauces, risotto, or stews to level up the flavour. Red wine adds depth to ragu, and white wine brings brightness to creamy sauces. Waste not; taste more.

14. No Wine Strainer? Use a Coffee Filter

If your cork crumbled mid-pop (we’ve all been there), just grab a coffee filter or clean muslin cloth. Pour your wine through it to catch all those pesky cork bits and keep your glass crumb-free.

15. Why Swirl Your Wine? It’s Not Just for Show

Ever noticed people swirling their wine like they’re auditioning for MasterChef? There’s a reason! Swirling helps release the wine’s aromas, so you get a better noseful of the bouquet before you sip. The curved rim of a wine glass also traps those aromas.

16. Pairing Basics: Match Weight with Weight

Want a simple wine pairing tip? Match heavy food with full-bodied wines like Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah. Light dishes? Think light wine, e.g. white fish with Pinot Grigio or grilled chicken with Chardonnay. It’s like dating: you want the vibes to match.

17. Store Bottles on Their Side (It’s Not Just Aesthetic)

Wine bottles sealed with corks should always be stored lying down. This keeps the cork moist, which stops it drying out and letting oxygen in. A dry cork = crumbled mess and sad, oxidised wine. Horizontal is key.

18. Yes, It’s Okay to Spit at Tastings

At wine tastings, it’s totally normal and smart to spit out the wine. It helps you stay sober enough to actually taste the differences between wines. You can still get the flavour and the finish without downing every drop. Pros do it, so you can too.

19. Use a Metal Spoon to Keep Sparkling Wine Bubbly

Popped open some bubbly but didn’t finish the bottle? Pop a metal spoon handle-down into the neck of the bottle and place it back in the fridge. It sounds bonkers, but the metal helps regulate the temperature in the neck of the bottle, which slows down the release of bubbles. No one fully knows why it works, but it often does, and that’s good enough for me.

20. Wine Wisdom: Drink What You Like

There are “rules,” but you don’t have to follow them. If you love white wine with steak or red with fish, drink what makes you happy. Wine is there to be enjoyed, not analysed to death.

So there you go, my favourite wine tips and tricks and home truths. Got a trick I haven’t mentioned? I’d love to hear it. Drop it in the comments below or DM me on Instagram.