Can You Freeze White Wine? (3 Must Read Tips)

The risk with opening another bottle is that you may not be able to finish it, and sometimes it’s not worth taking that chance.

But what if we were to tell you that there’s a solution to your leftover wine problems?

And that solution is simply putting your white wine in the freezer?

Can white wine be frozen?

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Does White Wine Freeze?

Exactly like freezing red wine, white wine will freeze between -9 and -6°C (15-21°F) when placed into the freezer. 

When water freezes at 0°C these slightly lower temperatures may come as a surprise, but that’s because white wine contains alcohol and water does not.

Alcohol simply requires a much colder temperature in order to freeze, it’s why your favourite cocktails can handle so much contact with ice. 

So white wine will freeze, it’ll just take a little longer to freeze than water.

But how long, exactly?

How Long Does White Wine Take to Freeze?

It takes about 3-5 hours for white wine to freeze.

Just like most liquids, white wine won’t freeze immediately, so don’t expect completely frozen results straight away.

The process isn’t an immediate one, but after an hour or so this transformation should begin to be noticeable.

So if you’re putting wine in the freezer to cool it down make sure you remove it after 30 minutes. 

But if frozen white wine is your aim, how long can you keep white wine in the freezer?

How Long Can You Freeze White Wine For?

Okay so you’ve avoided having wasted white wine on your hands by placing your leftovers in the freezer, but how long can white wine freeze for?

White wine can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months, so it’s smart to label the white wine with the date it first entered the freezer and the date it needs to be used by.

So if wine can only last about 3 months in the freezer does that mean that putting white wine in the freezer will inevitably ruin it?

Does Freezing White Wine Ruin It?

Freezers are fantastic inventions because they work to very quickly change the state and temperature of our food and drink.

However, in the process some of the flavours of our white wines can be altered and not necessarily for the better.

Temperature has a huge effect on aromas and flavours, think of the difference between the smell of porridge compared to cereal.

The warmer something is, the more freely it will share its aromas with you. 

The fresh and fruity acidity that we associate with our favourite white wines can be altered and sometimes lost completely when the white wine is frozen.

The acidity that was once mouthwatering can now be unpleasant and this can alter the balance of a wine, making it seem unpleasantly alcoholic.

So in what scenarios should you freeze white wine?

When Should You Freeze White Wine?

In theory, whenever you want!

But, as with a lot of things in this life, just because you could doesn't always mean you should.

There are, however, some instances when freezing white wine is a smart thing to do. 

Related: How Long Does White Wine Last In The Fridge?

A lot of recipes call for white wine and instead of having to buy an entire 750ml bottle that you may not want to drink, if you save a little bit of your favourite white wines for the freezer then you’ll have something a little more sophisticated when your risotto calls for it. 

So you’ve frozen your white wine and are smugly saving it for cooking, now what’s the best way to defrost frozen white wine?

How Do You Defrost White Wine?

How can you defrost frozen white wine?

Frozen white wine is no different to any other frozen products that need defrosting.

Low and slow is always the best option for defrosting.

A good way to defrost your white wine is to simply put it in a fridge and let time do its thing.

A much speedier method for when time is not on your side is to place the frozen white wine in a bucket of room temperature water and allow the warmer temperatures to dissolve the wine.

But what if you don’t use all of your defrosted white wine?

Can you refreeze defrosted white wine?

Can You Refreeze White Wine?

Unfortunately, refreezing white wine isn’t something we’d recommend.

Not many things can handle being frozen multiple times and chances are the flavours of the white wine will have been altered so much at this point it won’t be pleasant for yourself or your cooking.

But what are the best ways to freeze white wine?

Best Methods to Freeze White Wine?

You can chill white wine with ease, just put the whole bottle into your wine fridge and let the refrigerator do the rest.

When it comes to freezing, however, it can get a little trickier. 

You see, when wine freezes it expands and this can cause the bottle to explode, leaving broken glass everywhere.

So in order to safely freeze white wine we recommend these handy tricks:

• Always decant the white wine into freezer safe containers to avoid broken glass.

• Split the white wine into portionable quantities so you only need to defrost the amount you need.

• Use ice trays for smaller amounts of white wine and freezer safe jugs for larger quantities. 

• Seal your containers to avoid any unwanted spillages and leakages.

And that’s all there is to it. You’ll never need to waste a bottle of white wine again!

Before You Go...

We hope this provides you all the information you may need on Does White Wine Freeze?

Read our next article about everything you need to know about freezing wine here...

Does Wine Freeze (Full Guide)

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