Definitely yes! Of course, we wouldn’t recommend storing wines of any color in the fridge for a long time – the ideal conditions for storing leftover potato salad and the ideal conditions for preserving wine are quite different. An ordinary refrigerator is not the best for long-term wine preservation.

But if you want to chill the red wine a bit before drinking it, go for it.

In fact, most red wines are best served very warm and most whites are best served very cold. Many enjoy red wines when they are slightly cool as they would have been if they had come out of the cellar an hour ago. This is the equivalent of about 30 minutes in the fridge.

Of course, the fastest way to chill a bottle is in a champagne decanter with ice. Many wine lovers, when the wine is served too lukewarm for their taste, put an ice cube or two in the glass. And if you have an open bottle that you can’t finish, you put it in the fridge so you can keep it a little longer.