Some people may not realize that these table wine holders also act to keep wine cool. Because they are fairly unobtrusive, they blend in well with a table setting. They don’t detract from the ambience, and they don’t take up a lot of room.

All that is required of these units is a soak to allow water to absorb into the porous ceramic. Place the bottle of wine in the holder, and as the water evaporates, it causes the holder to cooler – in turn keeping the wine cool.

They work the best with already chilled wine. The evaporation process doesn’t lower the temperature enough to chill the wine, but it can make a big difference in keeping cool things at the ideal temperature.

The walls of the holder also act to insulate the bottle from the heat of the room. So the holders act double duty to keep your wine cool. Some ceramic coolers are completely glazed, and are advertised as an insulator. These do work to a certain extent, but without the evaporation cooling, the effect isn’t quite as effective.

If you have the time, take things a step further and put the holder in the refrigerator after soaking to bring the temperature down before putting on the table.

There are a large number of attractive ceramic containers to choose from. Traditional Italian designs are popular, but you can also find ones suitable for contemporary settings.