[Sca-cooks] FREEZING WINE......

[Tara Sersen Boroson]

> Alcohol doesn't freeze, cuz, at any temperatures
> you're likely to get it your home freezer, so what you
> will have done is separated out the flavors and the
> alcohol- which may be a good idea, but doesn't retain
> the original taste of the wine. Also, if the revenuers
> do catch you, for some reason I rather doubt they're
> going to believe you wanted the flavor, not the
> alcohol ;-)


I dunno, Phlip.  I've accidentally frozen both beer and wine solid, back
in the heady college days of trying to chill beverages quick-like for
parties.

Any solute will cause water (which is most of wine) to freeze at a lower
temperature (as well as boil at a higher temperature.)  That's why the
water where the Titanic sank was liquid at 27 degrees F.  The greater
the concentration of solute, the lower the freezing temperature.  So,
for a really strong solution of alcohol, you're right.  That's why you
can use grain alcohol or vodka for extracting oils from herbs and then
put them in the freezer to separate out the oil.  But the concentration
of solute (primarily alcohol) in wine is comparatively very low.

Phillipa, I can see no reason why freezing would alter any of the
aromatics that make wine what it is.  Most things that do not freeze
well are so because of physical problems, not chemical.  The cell walls
break down when the water in the cells expand, and they turn to mush
when thawed.  That isn't a problem with wine or other liquids.  Give it
a shot!  Maybe freeze one ice-cube, then thaw it right away and compare
it to a glass of the original, un-frozen stuff and see if there is a
difference.

-Magdalena