Can You Freeze Red Wine? (Can You Put Red Wine In The Freezer)

Red wine will freeze between -9 and -6°C (15-21°F) if left in the freezer long enough. 

The exact temperature will depend on the wine’s alcohol level and higher ABV red wines may take longer to freeze, but the result will still be the same: frozen solid red wine. 

These slightly lower temperatures than the freezing temperature for water are because red wine contains alcohol and water does not.

It’s why drinks with a high alcohol content, like vodka, can live in our domestic freezers without becoming solid and the freezer is the best place for your Martini ingredients. 

So red wine will take longer to freeze than water, but will freeze nonetheless.

Does Red Wine Freeze?

How Long Does Red Wine Take to Freeze?

It takes about 3-5 hours for red wine to freeze.

Just like most liquids, red wine won’t freeze immediately, so don’t expect completely frozen results straight away.

It takes a little while for the liquid molecules to become completely solid but after an hour or so this transformation should begin to be noticeable. 

How Long Can You Freeze Red Wine For?

Red wine can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months, so always mark the container you use with the date the red wine first entered the freezer.

After the 3 month mark the flavours of your red wine may start to alter in its frozen state, becoming unpleasantly bitter and acrid. So try and use your frozen red wine within that 3 month period. 

Does Freezing Red Wine Ruin It?

A freezer will work to drastically change a red wine’s state and temperature and an unfortunate side effect of this is that some of a red wine’s flavours may be changed in the freezing process, too. 

Temperature has a huge effect on aromas and flavours, think of the difference between the smell of an americano and an iced latte, or a soup compared to a smoothie. 

A lot of those beautiful, complex aromas that make red wine such a sought after drink, can be altered and sometimes lost completely when the red wine becomes frozen.

The acidity that was once mouthwatering can now be unpleasant and the tannins once smooth become astringent.

When Should You Freeze Red Wine?

The joy of being an adult is that you can put red wine in the freezer whenever you want.

But just because you could doesn't always mean you should.

There are, however, some instances when freezing red wine is a smart thing to do:

A lot of recipes call for red wine and instead of running to the supermarket to buy a bottle of cheap plonk, if you save a little bit of nicer red wine for the freezer then you’ll have something a little more sophisticated to add to your sauces and stews. 

So if you find yourself with some leftovers of a red wine that’s too good to waste then fear not, your freezer will help you out and your future culinary adventures will thank you for your hindsight.

How Do You Defrost Red Wine?

Frozen red wine is no different to any other frozen products that need defrosting.

A good way to defrost your red wine is by placing it in a fridge and allowing it to slowly dissolve into a liquid.

A much speedier method to defrost frozen red wine is to place the red wine in a bucket of room temperature water and allow science to do its thing.

Can You Refreeze Red Wine?

Unfortunately, refreezing red wine isn’t something we’d recommend.

Chances are the flavours of the red wine will have been altered so much at this point it won’t be pleasant for yourself or your cooking.

Best Methods to Freeze Red Wine?

When placing red wine into a fridge it’s very straightforward, just put the whole bottle in and let the refrigerator do the rest. It gets a little more complicated with freezing red wine, however.  

When wine freezes it expands and this can cause the bottle to explode, leaving broken glass everywhere.

In order to safely freeze your red wine follow these recommended methods:

• Always decant the red wine from a glass bottle into freezer safe containers

• Portion your red wine out so you only need to defrost the amount you need

• Use ice trays for smaller amounts of red wine and freezer safe jugs for larger quantities 

• Seal your containers to avoid any unwanted spillages and leakages

And that’s it! All you need to know about freezing red wine and ensuring you always have well stored leftovers to hand when your recipes call for it. 

Before You Go...

Read our next article about everything you need to know about freezing wine here...

Does Wine Freeze (Full Guide)

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