Any liquid substance can turn solid if it cools enough to its freezing point. When it comes to water that temperature is 0 °C, but the wine freezing point will mostly depend on its alcohol content. Most wine will freeze at a temperature lower than -5°C but it needs to stay at that temperature for a few hours before it gets solidly frozen. Alcohol also has a lower freezing point than water therefore the freezing point of your wine will greatly depend on its alcohol content. Besides, wine also contains sugars and other compounds that can cause its freezing point to go a little lower.
What Happens When the Wine Gets Frozen
Surely it has happened that we sometimes leave a bottle of wine in the freezer for quick cooling and realise after a couple of hours that it went frozen. That’s when the question arises: will this extreme temperature change affect the quality of the wine? Freezing can more or less affect wine taste, but it mostly depends on its quality and time it has remained frozen. Wine may lose some of its properties, but it doesn’t have to mean that it’s completely spoiled. When wine starts freezing it will also start expanding and putting a lot of pressure on the cork which can cause the bottle to crack.
What To Do When the Wine Gets Frozen
If you have forgotten your wine in the freezer, the best solution to thaw the wine is to first move it from the freezer to the refrigerator. You will have to wait a few hours or even a day until it adapts to the temperature of the refrigerator, and then take it out at room temperature. Consider drinking your wine as soon as possible due to the possibility of cork to be damaged which can cause a wine to oxidate and turn it into a vinegar over time. So, if you accidentally froze your wine don’t get too upset. Eventual changes that can happen in wine flavour isn’t something that anyone will notice, but we certainly don’t recommend freezing your wine on purpose.
