Can You Freeze Wine?
You can freeze wine, but it changes the character. Wine does not freeze solid due to alcohol content, becoming slushy around 15-20°F. Thawed wine tastes different and is best used for cooking rather than drinking. Frozen wine cubes are great for adding to sauces, stews, and sangria without dilution.
Key Takeaways
- Wine's alcohol content (typically 12-15%) prevents complete freezing.
- Sparkling wine loses carbonation when frozen and thawed.
- Higher alcohol wines freeze at lower temperatures than lower alcohol wines.
Explanation
Wine's alcohol content (typically 12-15%) prevents complete freezing. The water in wine freezes first, concentrating alcohol in the remaining liquid. This can cause bottles to crack or push out corks as the liquid expands, so never freeze wine in glass bottles.
Freezing and thawing affects wine's delicate flavor profile. The texture, aroma, and taste change because the freezing process affects the chemical balance. The wine remains safe to consume but may taste flat, dull, or different from the original.
For practical use, freeze leftover wine in ice cube trays for cooking. Wine cubes add depth to pan sauces, stews, risotto, and slow cooker recipes. They also work well in sangria or wine slushies where dilution would be a problem with regular ice.
Things to Know
- Sparkling wine loses carbonation when frozen and thawed.
- Higher alcohol wines freeze at lower temperatures than lower alcohol wines.
- Commercial wine slushie products are formulated to work frozen; regular wine is not.