Balls of Steel! Quite the Ice Breaker!

Note: In the spirit of full disclosure, this post is a sponsored post, for which I received a free product. All opinions expressed, however, are entirely my own.

When I was approached by a representative from a company called Balls of Steel, asking if I was interested in doing a review of one of their products, my initial reaction was, "Not a good fit - I'm keeping things pretty family-friendly on my blog."

Reading just a little further into the email though, I was sold.  Not only was I willing - it is a privilege to help promote this product and this company!

I was being asked to review the Napa Wine Chiller.  After receiving this product in the mail, I decided it would a perfect gift for my husband.  I checked with BOS, and they gave approval for me to publish this post after Christmas.  The Napa Wine chiller is available for purchase for $29.95.  Not very expensive, but more than what I would spend on a stocking stuffer. I was pleased to have one more gift for my husband to place under the tree!

Even though the wine group to which I belong is working our way through a series of lectures on wine, I am far from being able to call myself a sommelier!  I do know however, that many variables affect how a wine tastes.  Temperature is one.

Serving wine at the correct temperature can be tricky. Sometimes you don't want to wait for the time it takes to chill the bottle.  It is not always convenient to return the bottle to the fridge or find an ice bucket to keep it cold.  After I have poured a glass of wine, the contents of my glass usually warms up considerably, from the time I take the first sip until I finish the glass.  The BOS Napa Wine Chiller solves all of these problems.

The Napa Wine Chiller arrived packaged in a sturdy and attractive square cardboard box.  Printed on the side of the box is the message: "Perfectly chilled wine with a cause.  From room temperature to perfect in 2 minutes."  Inside the box is a round silver ball, with about a 2-inch diameter.  A cloth drawstring bag is provided for its storage.

My husband was quite pleased to receive it!  He immediately placed it in the freezer, so we would be able to use it with our next bottle of wine.

The directions indicate that the ball should be placed in the freezer to activate its “arctic-core center.”  The ball is to be frozen for a minimum of 90 minutes; it is recommended it be frozen for 4+ hours on first use and for best results.  Once frozen, the ball is to be gently placed in a wine glass, and then wine is added to the glass.  According that the information provided, the Napa wine chiller will "preserve a chilled drink, or instantly cool a room temperature beverage, and keep it at that temperature for 2 - 3 hours."

While I am excited about this novel way to chill wine, I am even more approving of the conversations it is meant to spark. Indeed, as I explained to my family on Christmas morning why the company chose the name “Balls of Steel” we had an interesting conversation about men's health.

A statistic from the Testicular Cancer Foundation: Testicular cancer,“the most common cancer in young men ages 15-35, is one of the most beatable cancers, when caught early.” Knowing how to self-check is critical knowledge for young men to learn. Balls of Steel has partnered with the the Testicular Cancer Foundation. Through them,  a free self-check instruction shower card can be obtained.

On their website, the Original BOS company states “15% of our proceeds go directly to MD Anderson for cure research.  Each item is design to lower the barrier of conversation about men's health.” These “drink chillers with a a cause” not only are an effective way to chill a beverage, they provide a wonderful way to start a conversation about a topic that people are sometimes uncomfortable bringing up. Anything that reminds men to take the extra step to ensure their own good health is a good thing.

We tried the Napa Wine Chiller with a room temperature bottle of Chardonnay.  After gently placing the ball in the bottom of a wine glass, we poured in the wine.  Within just a couple minutes it was chilled.

I had been concerned that the ball would roll as my husband took a sip, and hit him in the lip! Instead, it stayed nicely at the bottom of the glass, even as it was tipped.

Curious, I placed the ball in a stemless wine glass. It remained at the bottom of that glass as well, when I drank from it.

My only complaint about the Napa Wine Chiller is that currently we only have one of them.  Although it is not difficult to transfer the steel ball from one glass to another, it would be much nicer to have one for each our glasses! Since I gave this one as a gift to my husband, I may have to get my own!

Too bad it's too late to receive an order from BOS for tonight's New Year's Eve celebration!  

Wishing you a fun, safe and Happy New Year's Eve!

Cheers!

Cheers!

Early detection saves lives.  

Have you asked the men in your life if they know cancer symptoms to watch for?

This post may be linked to one of the great link-up parties I follow and list on my blog. Check them out!