Chill wine instantly as you pour

(Credit: Ravi)

Summer can be rough on oenophiles who lack a proper wine cellar. Even if your red wines survive the high temperatures, they'll still need to spend some time in the refrigerator to come down to an appropriate temperature before serving. But all too often the guests arrive and the wine is poured before you remember to chill it (at least, that's how it happens at my house).

Enter the Ravi Instant Wine Chiller. The two-part device includes a cooling tube, which you store in your freezer, plus a base, which is inserted into the neck of the wine bottle when you're ready to serve. As you pour, the wine travels through a stainless-steel spout (the material was chosen so it wouldn't affect the wine's flavor) surrounded by cooling material. You control the flow, and thus the amount of time the wine spends in the cooling chamber, by placing your thumb over an air intake valve.

A dream come true? Kind of. The manufacturer is quick to point out that the Ravi is designed to cool red wines to the proper serving temperature, but shouldn't be expected to chill a room-temperature white--rather, it's suggested as a way to keep already-chilled whites and rosés cool without an ice bucket. Even with that limitation, wine lovers who live in hot climates may find that the $50 investment pays off in enjoyment.