It’s not something you’ve paid much attention to before but recently you’ve found yourself mid supermarket shop, somewhere between the wine aisle and the freezer section, asking, “wait, can you freeze wine?”
Whether it’s chilling Pinot Grigio as quickly as possible or coming up with some summer cocktail inspiration, “will wine freeze?” is a question worth asking!
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Does Wine Freeze?
Yes, wine can be frozen. Wine freezes at -9°C and -6°C (15°F – 25°F) and a bottle of wine can freeze if you leave it at extremely cold temperatures for long periods of time.
But, as with all things wine, there is more than meets the eye when it comes to frozen wine.
Heres what you need to know about freezing wine:
| Freezing Wine Question | Freezing Wine Answer |
|---|---|
| Can Wine Freeze? | Yes, wine can be frozen. |
| Wine's Freezing Point Range | Between -9°C and -6°C (15°F – 25°F) |
| Factors Affecting Freezing Temperature | Alcohol content of the wine affects the freezing point. |
| Time to Freeze Wine | 1 to 3 hours: Resembles a frozen margarita. About 5 hours: Completely frozen. |
| Effects of Freezing on Taste | Freezing can subdue flavors and aromas, affecting taste. |
| Thawing Frozen Wine | Slowly thaw out frozen wine for a more acceptable taste. |
| When to Freeze Wine | For cocktails or ice cubes |
| Preservation Method | Pour leftover wine into a freezable container (e.g., ice cube tray) for future use. |
| Best Freezing Method | Decant wine into a freezer-friendly container to avoid glass bottle breakage! |
What Temperature Does Wine Freeze?
Wine’s freezing point lies between -9 and -6 °C but the temperature required to freeze your wine may vary depending on whether you have a bottle particularly high or low in alcohol (the average alcohol content of wine is 12.5%).
Water freezes at 0°C (32°F), but when it comes to the freezing point of wine it can get a little more complicated.
Unlike water, wine contains alcohol, it’s part of its charm, and alcohol can have an effect not just on us but on the freezing point of wine, too.
Related: How Long Does Wine Last In The Fridge?
The higher the alcohol content of the wine the colder the temperature needs to be to freeze wine.
How Long Does It Take For Wine To Freeze?
It’s Friday night and you want nothing more than a lovely, chilled glass of rosé to see in the weekend. Except you forgot to put the bottle in the fridge and now you need to chill it, and fast!
How long it takes for wine to freeze:
- Within 1 to 3 hours in the freezer your bottle of wine may start to resemble the consistency of a frozen margarita sitting in the sun for too long.
- After about 5 hours you can expect the bottle to be completely frozen.
The freezer is looking like the best option here but how long do you have until the rosé becomes frosé?
The process of freezing wine isn’t instant, like all good things in life frozen wine can take time as the cold temperatures get to work transforming the liquid molecules of wine into something solid and, well, frozen.
The freezing point of wine varies bottle to bottle and this will affect the time it takes for a wine to freeze—you can always count on wine to make physics fun!
Does Freezing Ruin Wine?
Okay so you’ve panic placed your bottle of rosé in the freezer but, long story short, you woke up bolt upright the next morning remembering that it’s still there!
Now instead of a deliciously cold aperitif you’ve got, well, you’ve got a bottle of frozen wine.
Fear not!
All is not lost here. All taste is subjective, of course, but frozen wine may not always be the most enjoyable.
Think of the difference between your piping hot americano and your iced oat latte—which has the most prominent coffee aroma, the hot drink or the cold one?
As drinks become colder their ability to communicate flavours and aromas become subdued and freezing wine can definitely affect this!
Try slowly thawing out your frozen wine and giving it a taste once it’s back to a more acceptable liquid temperature.
If it tastes good to you then et voilà - all is well!
What a journey of science we have been on! If it’s not to your taste then that’s okay too, there are plenty of recipes that require cooking wine—frozen wine does not have to mean wasted wine!
When Should You Freeze Wine?
Frozen Wine Cocktails
There’s lots of fun to be had with frozen wine when it comes to cocktails.
Heatwaves in the summer are no joke and sometimes the only thing that literally takes the heat off is a pitcher of something very cold, very delicious and involves the frivolous fun of freezing wine.
Which is why it’s always handy to know wine’s freezing point!
Leftover Wine Ice Cube
Freezing wine is also a fantastic way to preserve that leftover bottle.
Simply pour any wine leftover into a freezable container (an ice cube tray perhaps) and go about your day safe in the knowledge that the next time a recipe calls for the addition of wine, you’ve got some frozen wine ready to go.
Whats The Best Way To Freeze Wine?
We can readily answer the question “can wine freeze?” and we’re ready to wow people with our knowledge of freezing wine at our next dinner party.
But what is the best method to freeze wine to help show off our new found knowledge?
First things first, it doesn’t matter how much of a rush you’re in or how gigantic a freezer you have...
Don’t place your glass bottle of wine in the freezer!
Not only do cold temperatures transform liquids into solid they can also cause the contents to expand in the process, causing a risk of broken glass.
So as long as you decant your wine into a freezer friendly container you’ll be okay.
The rest is on you. There’s a whole world of frozen wine to explore, we wish you well on your journey.
Related:
- How Many Grapes are in a Bottle of Wine?
- How Long Does Champagne Last?
- How Long Does Wine Last?
- Does Champagne Freeze?
- How Long Does Prosecco Last?
- Is Prosecco Vegan?
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed our article on if wine freezes.
If you have any questions, leave them in the comments, or email us at info@expertwinestorage.co.uk
You can browse more posts on Wine Storage here
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