Want to know if you can store red wine in the freezer for cooking? Unsure if it’s safe, whether it’ll work or how to do it?
Can You Freeze Red Wine?
Yes, you can freeze red wine for up to 3 months. If you cook with red wine often but don’t drink it, then freezing red wine in ice cubes can ensure you always have a supply for flavouring stews, soups, sauces and gravy.
Do Does Red Wine freeze well? Sometimes
Can you refreeze Red Wine? No
How to Freeze Red Wine
8
servings10
minutes10
minutesThis is My Preferred Method for Freezing Red Wine
Keeps the screen of your device ON
Ingredients
1 Bottle of Red Wine
Directions
- Decide Portions
Decide whether you want to freeze your red wine in small tablespoon portions or larger quantities. If opting for small quantities, then grab an ice cube tray. If you want larger quantities, then get a suitable plastic container. You’ll then want to put the wine into a jug to make it easier to pour out. - Fill Container
Fill the ice cube tray or container with the red wine – ensuring you don’t fill it to the brim as it will expand slightly when freezing. - Seal
Place a lid on the container if you have one. Then wrap it in a layer of clingfilm to avoid any unwanted red wine leakages. This is optional if you are freezing the cubes in an ice cube tray. - Freeze
Finally, place the container into the freezer to freeze the red wine. If you have frozen the cubes in an ice cube tray, you can pop the cubes out once frozen to store them in a freezer bag (and to free up the ice cube tray).
Why Freeze Red Wine?
I know what you might be thinking… Why, oh why would anyone want to freeze red wine? Indeed you open the bottle and finish it, right? But there are perfectly good reasons why you might want to freeze it.
Let’s assume you’re cooking a beef ragu, which calls for a red wine glug. You head down to the supermarket, buy a bottle you wouldn’t normally drink because it’s cheap, and you throw a glug in when the recipe calls for it…
Well, what do you do with the leftovers when you don’t fancy drinking them? You freeze it, of course.
My Tips for Freezing Red Wine
If you want things to go well when freezing red wine, then in my experience, you’ll want to follow some basic tips:
Consider Quantities
It’s essential that you consider how much red wine you usually use when cooking so that you can use containers of a suitable size. If you want to add a little richness to your cooking then an ice cube tray is ideal, for example.
Don’t Drink
Frozen red wine is not something you will want to drink. It will be fine for cooking and add richness and body to stews and sauces, but it will taste slightly different.
The last thing you’ll want to do is serve a previously frozen red wine to a wine connoisseur!
Don’t Defrost
If using cubes of frozen red wine, then you can drop these straight into a pan and heat over a low heat to thaw. This is particularly good for adding richness to stews and casseroles. Remember you’ll need to let the cube melt and then allow the alcohol to cook off.
I love to make a quick red wine sauce using frozen cubes of red wine. Allow them to melt in a pan before adding a knob of butter, a little flour and plenty of stock. You can then cook it down until it is sticky.
How Long Can You Freeze Red Wine?
Red wine will keep for approximately 3 months in the freezer before you need to use it up.
Make sure you can mark when you first froze the red wine so you can keep an eye on when it’ll expire.
After 3 months, it’ll become slightly acrid and bitter, so it would be best to avoid using it in your cooking – especially if you don’t want to ruin your dinner.
Red wine will keep at room temperature for up to 5 days once opened. This will depend on the type of red wine, however. A lighter red wine will only keep for 3 days.
How Do You Defrost Red Wine?
The even better news is that you don’t need to defrost it. As already mentioned, you’re not freezing the red wine to drink at a later date (I’d advise strongly against it if you actually enjoy wine).
Instead, you’re going to be using it in your cooking.
Whether knocking together a hearty stew or putting together a jus or gravy, you can toss a cube or two of your frozen red wine straight into the dish and let it melt away.
Remember, it still contains alcohol, so you’ll need to give the frozen red wine time to defrost and burn off the alcohol as you usually would avoid leaving a bitter taste in your dish.
Can You Refreeze Red Wine?
I would not recommend refreezing red wine.
The only exception is if you have used frozen red wine in a cooked dish such as a casserole. You can freeze the resultant casserole containing your frozen red wine without issue.
Does Red Wine Freeze Well?
When it comes to drinking red wine, there is absolutely no question about it. Frozen red wine sucks.
Having said that, when you are using red wine in cooking, you burn the alcohol off to leave behind the rich, fruity notes of your wine – this is when frozen red wine is perfect to have.
Related FAQs
If you’ve still got questions about freezing red wine or red wine in general, then these may help:
Red wine gravy can be frozen. Decide on the portions of red wine gravy you need, find a suitable container and freeze it in portions. You must thaw it overnight in the fridge by reheating it over a low heat.
Yes, red wine sauce or jus can be frozen in an ice cube tray or a muffin tin if you’d prefer larger portions.
Yes! This is the only reason to freeze red wine. You will not want to drink red wine that has been frozen. Stick to using it in your cooking!
Sources
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