What happens to wine if it Freezes?

[TNFISHRMAN]

What would happen to a wine if it was already sweetened and ready to bottle if it was to freeze? My Blackberry was ready to bottle when it clouded back up after sweetening. So after a suggestion I thought I would cold stabilize to see if if would clear any quicker. I was lucky last night and it didn't freeze but I may not make it tonight. Thanks for any info.

 

[MedPretzel]

Bring it inside. No wine should freeze, in my opinion. I'm no expert (see post on cold-stabilization), but i think it'd be best if the wine was left cold, not frozen.

 

[TNFISHRMAN]

Its kinda hard to do that Martina, I am at work now. I am about ready to ditch it if it doesn't clear. I was just wondering. I had remembered hearing a conversation where a gentleman at the local winery was talking to an operator there. Something was said about a wine getting slushy and then thawing out during Cold Stabilization. Jest of their conversation was that it didn't hurt it. I was just concerned because mine was sweetened and stabilized.

Maybe it won't freeze. Thanks and take care. Lynn

 

[Curt]

Lynn,


One of the things that happen is that the water based part of the wine freezes first while the alcohol based parts don't. Of course we all know that the BATF agents will smash down your door and haul you off for making illegal "shine" if you were to take advantage of that particular idiosyncrasy of wine. It freezes from the outside toward the center and at the penultimate moment there will be a slightly slushy core of high test alcohol. Of course that's just conjecture and purely speculative.

 

[TNFISHRMAN]

Thanks for the info. Curt. The wine didn't freeze luckily so maybe the Batf won't come knocking!

Take care all!