It’s fairly well known that if you put high-proof alcohol in your freezer, it won’t fully freeze. However, wine has a much lower percentage of alcohol than distilled spirits, so will wine freeze? Let’s take a look.
Wine has a fairly short shelf life when stored at room temperature, which is why wine cellars and fridges exist. Proper storage conditions will only help extend the life of a bottle of wine to a certain extent, so it’s best to try and use it within the recommended time period.
Once a bottle of wine has been opened, it generally will last up to 5 days, depending on how much oxygen it is exposed to. So if you have an opened bottle that you don’t think you’ll be able to finish, or you’ve opened it for the sole purpose of using it in a recipe, don’t let the rest go to waste – learn how to freeze wine for later use.
Will Wine Freeze?
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The higher the alcohol content the lower the temperature needs to be in order to freeze alcoholic beverages, and a standard bottle of wine has an alcohol content of 12.5%. That means that wine is able to be frozen at 22°F, which is a temperature that most standard kitchen freezers can reach. The normal recommended freezer temperature is 0°F, so you shouldn’t have to change the setting on your freezer to make this work, but it’s worth checking your settings, just in case.
It’s important to note that you shouldn’t try to freeze wine in its original bottle. Wine contains water, and water expands when frozen, meaning the cork could pop out or the bottle could break, so you’ll want to transfer it into a separate container with enough space. Ice cube trays are a great way to freeze any excess wine you might have. Plus, you can also freeze it in measured and usable portions.
Using Frozen Wine
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The best way to use frozen wine is cooking. When it comes to cooking with wine, the majority of people don’t use their best wine. Any good chef will tell you that if you aren’t willing to drink the wine, it has no place in your kitchen – not even for cooking. So if you have a bit of wine left at the end of a really nice or expensive bottle, freeze it and use it for things like broths, soups, stews, gravy, and sauces. Additionally, adding wine to a vegan mushroom risotto is a way to take your dish to the next level.
Another great way to use frozen wine is to add a bunch of spices to the mix and make some German mulled wine.
Frozen wine is also safe to drink, but the taste may not be very enjoyable, depending on how long it has been frozen.
Tip: When freezing wine, try to use it within 3 months for optimal results.
Chilling Wine Without Freezing
Sometimes you can end up with frozen wine by accident if you stick the bottle in the freezer to chill before serving and forget about it for a couple of hours.
If you’re looking for a way to chill wine before drinking and don’t want it to accidentally freeze, try freezing grapes instead. This way, you can add the frozen grapes to the glass and enjoy a chilled wine without the risk of watering it down. It might also be worth it for you to invest in a wine chiller to help keep that bottle at the perfect, crisp drinking temperature.
Read on:
- Why Wine Isn’t Always Vegan
- Do Red and White Wines Go Bad?
- Fridge Temperature and Organization: How to Store Food Properly
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