Abstract: A cooling insert for insertion into a wine bottle cooler for cooling a bottle of wine therein. The cooling insert includes a housing for holding a cooling material therein and which includes a bottom wall, a perimeter side wall upwardly extending around the bottom wall of the housing, and an open top defined by a top edge of the perimeter side wall of the housing. A lid is inserted into the open top of the housing. The lid has a plurality of holes therethrough. The perimeter side wall of the housing has an inner surface with a shoulder therearound adjacent the top edge of the perimeter side wall of the housing. The lid rests on the shoulder of the perimeter side wall.