Frozen wine

[Georgie]

Well, here's one I haven't seen asked, and probably because there aren't too many people as stupid as I am, or at least they don't openly admit to it. In an effort to chill down some wine in a hurry to take to a restaurant last evening I put two bottles in the freexer for about 30 minutes. Well, make that one bottle for 30 minutes; the other was forgotten about and stayed overnight. I discovered it today, cork popped out, but bottle unbroken and contents frozen. I've defrosted it...is there any hope that it's not ruined?

[This message has been edited by Georgie (edited 08-11-2003).]

[Innkeeper]

Not ruined, but not good either. Be more careful next time. The freezer is a great place to chill wine, but you need to tie a string around your finger.

[Bucko]

According to C.S. Ough, Professor Emeritus at UC Davis, freezing wine does very little to the flavor profile.

[Thomas]

Yeah, but that's a test result which likely does not include a cork pushing out to let oxygen in, not to mention the potential for tartaric acid precipitation.

[ShortWiner]

But if the wine is frozen when the cork comes out, there will be very little contact with oxygen.

[winoweenie]

In the hecktic 78 harvest, Flora Springs harvested their first cabernet grapes, crushed them, then found out that in their infinate wisdom the BATF hadn't issued their bond yet for their fledgling winery. Knowing the outcome could be a passel of VERY expensive vinegar, Julie and the rest of the family decided to freeze the must, stop fermentation, and await the bond from the idiots at Treasury. I forget how long the juice was frozen but afterwards it was thawed, fermented and bottled and was one whale of a nice 1st effort. Freezing IMHO doesn't alter any of the basic components as long as the wine is securely corked. In your case I think you'll find the wine sound as when bottled as long as you drink it today. The key is the cork. WW

[Georgie]

You are right. It tasted fine! [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img]

[wondersofwine]

I heard of someone else doing that (forgetting to take the wine out of the freezer) and lamenting that a prized wine was a virtual popsicle!