The Wine Ladies

Wine in the Freezer

Dear Wine Ladies,

I occasionally stick a bottle of wine in the freezer for a quick chilling, but am wondering if wine can actually freeze? What about hard liquor?

Kathryn

Dear Kathryn,
 
Yes, it surely can and the speed at which a wine will freeze is dependent on the percentage of alcohol. The higher the alcohol percentage, the longer it will take. Fortified wines for example, will take longer than regular wines. Generally speaking, wine will freeze at approximately -10C, while spirits will not succumb unless your freezer is ultra-powerful and reaches -100C. An alternative to the freezer which allows for equally as rapid chilling is to take an ice bucket, fill it half way with ice, a few cups of  water and a about a ¼ cup of salt. The salt melts the ice faster and makes the water colder faster. Although the freezer works when it comes to chilling, too often a bottle is forgotten, the wine freezes, the cork protrudes and the bottle explodes!  Speaking from experience, what a mess and what a waste!