October 7, 2022

"Karen, What’s the best way to quickly chill a bottle of Champagne?"—John R. (Boston, MA)

Hi John: the tried-and-true method for chilling Champagne quickly (in less than 20 minutes) is to place the bottle in a slushy “bath” of ice and cold water. Make sure the bottle is submerged up to its neck in the ice water bath. You can accelerate the process even faster by adding a handful of salt to the water. Salt depresses the freezing point of the mixture so that the temperature of the ice bath gets even colder. By the time you get out some wine glasses and turn on some music, the Champagne will be ready!

—Karen

As reported by CNN Business, Starbucks is offering a new coffee drink that has what (besides coffee) in it?

A. Mayonnaise

B. Vanilla custard

C. Olive Oil

D. Peanut Butter

May I interest you in a cup of coffee, with a spoonful of olive oil? Starbucks is going out on a limb with a new line of Oleato coffee drinks infused with olive oil—resulting in a slippery sheen that floats to the surface. As the company intended, the bold move has already caused a stir on the internet. But it remains unclear whether the hype will translate to sales, as consumers don’t seem to be clamoring for oily drinks.

“Climate change is happening. The start date of each vintage moves forward by a week per decade. Burgundy won’t be making Pinot Noir in 20 years as it will be too hot; they’ll be making Shiraz and still Pinot production will move to Champagne and England. There is a very real possibility that if the effects of global warming get too severe, Barolos won’t be made from Nebbiolo since it’s such a sensitive variety and needs such specific conditions. Global warming is going to completely re-set the game. Bordeaux is going to have massive problems.”

— Chester Osborn, winemaker, d’Arenberg Winery (Australia) as quoted in The Drinks Business

"Karen, What’s the best way to quickly chill a bottle of Champagne?"—John R. (Boston, MA)

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