As I’m writing this, we are in the dog days of summer here in North Carolina. Come evening, it is often nice enough to sit outside. However, the ambient temperature can be in the mid-80s, meaning that both red and white wines can warm quickly while you’re doing your best to cool down. Too warm white wines can taste flabby. Red wines that are too warm might taste too bitter or too “alcoholic.” And warm wine in general just isn’t refreshing on a hot night.
While there are many ways to chill a bottle of wine, the Corkcicle is a suitable option if you don’t like the hassle of dealing with a bucket full of ice and simply want to keep one bottle of wine chilled while you consume it outside during a meal or event.
Before we continue with our Corkcicle review, though, a little about the KnowWines blog. We’re an Amazon.com affiliate and we do receive a small commission if you purchase items through our affiliate links at no cost to you. The commissions help us pay for web hosting fees, products to test, and other costs associated with running this site. Thank you for using our affiliate links and supporting this independent blog!
What is the Corkcicle Classic Wine Chiller?
In 2010, the company Corkcicle came out with its first product, the Corkcicle in-bottle wine chiller. It’s likely a result of seeing people put ice cubes in their wine to cool it down and thinking, “There must be a way to cool wine without diluting the wine with ice melt.” After a series of prototypes and tests, the Corkcicle wine icicle was born.
The Corkcicle is fairly straight forward. It comes in an elegant box without obtrusive plastic wrap. Once you pop the corkcicle out of the box, simply place it in the freezer and let it freeze over a few hours or overnight. When it is time to use the Corkcicle, it is ready to go.
The frozen BPA-free, non-toxic “icicle” extends into the bottle to keep the liquid cool.
With the success of the Corkcicle, the company has since expanded to making beautiful beverage cooling solutions like these wine tumblers.
Can I Use the Corkcicle for All Wines?
For the most part, yes! How and when you use the Corkcicle will depend on the type of wine and the bottle it comes in.
Type of Wine Bottle
Corkcicle will work with any wine bottle that has a standard cork.
You may find that the Corkcicle will not fit well in Champagne bottles or some sparkling wine bottles - the bubbles may push the Corkcicle out between pours, leading to spilled wine.
Similarly, the Corkcicle may not fit well in 375mL or 500mL bottles, as it is designed for standard 750mL wine bottles. It might not fit smaller bottles because the “icicle” part of the Corkcicle is about 10 inches long.
White Wines
The best application for the Corkcicle is keeping already chilled white wines cool while you’re enjoying them in a warmer setting. Many white wines taste best between 50 and 60 degrees F.
Red Wines
Many red wines are served above ideal temperatures. Ambient temperatures in some homes can be 75+ degree F, and of course here in the southern USA it is a little warmer. We find many red wines taste better at 60 to 65 F than at a higher room temperature.
Do I Need a Corkcicle?
No, you don’t need a Corkcicle Classic Wine Chiller. There are many different ways to keep wine chilled.
However, the Corkcicle might be a great solution for keeping white wines cool and bringing down the temperature of red wines a little if you don’t have space for a wine bucket with ice water or don’t want to deal with that mess (e.g. the bucket can sweat on a wood table).
Where to Buy a Corkcicle
Your local wine retailer may sell the Corkcicle. You can also find the Corkcicle online through specialty cookware sites or on Amazon.com.
Should I Give Corkcicle as a Gift?
We were honestly impressed by the box the Corkcicle arrived in. It was elegant, modern, and recyclable. For this reason, we think it’d make a great hostess or birthday gift. The Corkcicle website also indicates that personalization of their items is also an option, which makes for a great gift.
Note: We did have to wait a week for the item to arrive, but as we’re reviewing this item during the Coronavirus pandemic, we’re pretty sure that supply chain issues have impacted the Corkcicle folks (in addition to many other businesses!) during this challenging time.
Other Single Bottle Wine Chiller Options
Some Corkcicle users may find that one Corkcicle doesn’t last long enough for an especially long meal or outdoor event. One solution could be to have two Corkcicles on hand in your freezer.
Alternatively, for especially long meals or special occasions, an ice bucket filled with a mix of ice and water might be the best solution. Or, check out our article on other single bottle wine chiller solutions.
Corkcicle Conclusion
The Corkcicle performs the task it advertises. It keeps cool white wines cool for at least 30 minutes in 85 degree F weather and can chill a red wine from room temperature to about 60 degrees F in under an hour.
The Corkcicle can replace the need for an ice bucket, water, and ice - especially if you want to chill only one bottle of wine. The Corkcicle doesn’t take up much space in the freezer compared to other single wine bottle chilling tools on the market
In summary, the Corkcicle Classic is a keeper for those of us in a warm climate.
Cheers from KnowWines!