What happens if you freeze wine

The more crucial concern in this case is with the seal on the bottle. Wine is mostly water. As water freezes, it expands. This can force the cork up and slightly out of the neck, allowing air to creep in. Because air is corrosive to wine, it's important to drink the bottle sooner rather than later. The same issue applies to screw caps, which may become deformed if the frozen liquid reaches the rim, breaching the airtight seal.

Incidentally, freezing can cause a visible change in the wine in the form of potassium tartrate crystals. Sometimes called "wine diamonds," these resemble little shards of glass but are perfectly harmless.

Tartaric acid occurs naturally in wine, and when the liquid is chilled, the acid combines with potassium to precipitate out of solution. The crystals will usually drop to the bottom of the bottle, but occasionally a few will adhere to the surface of a freshly pulled cork. The bottle will actually explode, thanks to the wire cage holding the cork down.

When frozen, the wine tastes like a dumbed-down version of what it was intended to taste like. Low temperatures dull both desired flavors along with harsh alcohol flavors think near-frozen vodka or tequila shots. If the wine is left in the freezer for a long period of time, it becomes both freezer burned and oxidized.

Some wine is, however, subjected to similar conditions during the winemaking process. Cold stabilization will remove potassium bitartrate, which can make a wine unstable and create hard crystals in the bottle. Don't miss a drop! Get the latest in beer, wine, and cocktail culture sent straight to your inbox.

I Accidentally Froze My Wine. Wine expands when it freezes, and the cork might be popped, or ice could force its way past the screwcap. Just make sure there isn't any broken glass. Some people save partial bottles of wine by freezing them.

In this case, it would be safest to transfer it to a freezer container or freeze it uncorked and then replace the cork once it is frozen. You might see tartrate crystals in the wine, which are harmless. It is best to drink or use a frozen bottle of wine soon after thawing it.

If you don't like the flavor for drinking, make a wine cooler or sangria. Also, consider using it for cooking. Time for stew or coq au vin. An easy way to freeze leftover wine is in an ice cube tray. One cube is about the equivalent of two tablespoons, but you may want to measure to see how much your particular ice cube tray holds.

Just fill one of the cube slots with water. Then pour it back into a liquid measuring cup and make a note of the volume. If you want bigger cubes, freeze your leftover wine in a muffin tin instead.

Don't worry about thawing the cubes when you get ready to use them. They'll melt quickly when you add them to a hot pan. Use your leftover wine to make your own wine vinegar. And vinegar is just one of the many things that you can make.