Freezing Wine

[Don Giovanni]

Freezing Wine

Think of wine like fresh meat...than after you cook it and serve it you have left overs...what to do...either you place it in the frig and eat it over the next few days...or you can freeze it ...same with wine...only freeze it once never twice...be prepared to deal with potassium bitartrate, also know as cream of tartar...this will fall out the crystals won't hurt you they will need to be addressed...either by decanting or just place the bottle upright and let the sediment fall out to the bottom...be careful and pour the wine until the crystals come to the neck of the bottle... FYI obviously white will show you the crystals much better...red wines will also have them...you just have to be careful and look...Cheers!

Edited June 5, 2007 by Don Giovanni (log)

[Waterzoy]

I freeze left-over wine frequently for cooking so that I don't have to open a bottle to cook with if I'm not planning to drink the rest. The taste is fine (ie, of the finished dish) and I filter it to get rid of the sediment.

Edited June 5, 2007 by Rachellindsay (log)

[Rebel Rose]

I don't know, John. I have accidentally frozen wine (going for the fast chill and then forgetting about it ) and it never tastes right afterward. Pretty awful, in fact.

[Claudia Greco]

I don't know, John.  I have accidentally frozen wine (going for the fast chill and then forgetting about it  ) and it never tastes right afterward.  Pretty awful, in fact.

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I saw something rather unusual at the Ulster County Crafts Fair the other weekend - a company had frozen wine, like slushies, in Merlot and Pinot Grigio! Actually, they were lind of interesting - but I was wondering what else they added to the wine and ice to give it that slushie quality . . . anyone know?

[Florida Jim]

John,

Where do you get such information?

Best, Jim

[Don Giovanni]

John,

Where do you get such information?

Best, Jim

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Jim,

Through living...thinking out of the bottle...experience...embrace what you know not and you shall know...

[Florida Jim]

John,

Where do you get such information?

Best, Jim

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Jim,

Through living...thinking out of the bottle...experience...embrace what you know not and you shall know...

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Well, I can certainly appreciate that.

Nonetheless, my experience with wine that's been frozen lines up more with Mary's experience than yours.

Best, Jim

[wkl]

i mistakenly froze a very good bottle of champagne the sunday afternoon of memorial day w/e.

we tried it anyway, i thought it was cleary damaged and far from the quality wine i know it to be.

[Don Giovanni]

This is an independent test by a respected wine industry veteran...Thomas Pelllechia

Click On Me

More info on wine slushies below

Click On Me

Edited June 5, 2007 by Don Giovanni (log)

[Florida Jim]

John,

Thanks for the links. I know Tom and agree that he is both professional and respected.

And his results are pretty much the way I feel about wine that has been frozen.

Like him, I won't call it better or worse. But his experiment and my experience make it pretty clear that freezing changes the flavor profile of a wine substantially.

Best, Jim

[SBonner]

When we have had a mediocre bottle of wine I'll usually freeze it in the ice cube tray to use in cooking and stocks.

Stephen Bonner

[David McDuff]

I'll have to weigh in on the side of the rest of the group here, John. In my experience with any number of inadvertently frozen bottles, the wine, once thawed, has never tasted as it should have. Drinkable, perhaps. Good, no. The idea of freezing leftovers (or a wine that's just not your favorite) for later use in cooking makes perfect sense -- much as does freezing leftover coffee for later use as the cubes in a good iced coffee.