"Freezing" red wine?

I know a reasonable amount about wine--for a layman. But I was brought up short to read the following in the current (April 2) issue of Crain's in an article about Alpana Singh trying her hand at restaurant ownership.

"'One of my biggest pet peeves is warm red wine,' she said, adding that she freezes her red varietals for 15 minutes before serving. 'It improves the flavor.'"

Um, really? Anyone out there have any knowledge to contribute on this. I'm not looking for opinions on the wisdom of doing so, thanks, but I'm curious to know what effect, if any, this is likely to have on the wine. Obviously, it won't freeze in 15 minutes, but will the treatment affect the wine? And I just don't understand how it can "improve the flavor."

I've stuck bottles of wine in the freezer to bring them down to more of a cellar temperature.

I agree that most red wine is served too warm. I believe the starting point should be 'cellar temperature', which is considerably cooler than 'room temperature'...somewhere around 55 degrees. Adjust per your palate and the varietal being served. Personally, I frequently opt for 30 mins in the fridge, but I don't think 15 mins in the freezer is really going to do much damage. Would I risk it with a $100 bottle? No, but for a $10 bottle it seems like a reasonable shortcut.

I'm not sure if this counts as knowledge or an opinion (or what the difference is anyway), but I think this entire subject is subject to an opinion. It's Alpana's opinion that the flavor is improved if it is served less than room temperature (68-72 degrees), and she obviously does not denote a degradation in the wine after putting it in the freezer. FWIW, she's not the only person to suggest this, and some people are apt to disagree. It's a matter of taste, and I don't think there's any right answer.

If you prefer a cellar temp wine, how you achieve that, whether it is by freezer or in the refrigerator or a cold basement, is up to you. Alpana puts it in the freezer for 15 minutes. (I personally wouldn't put it in the freezer, but that's based only on a feeling, not scientific evidence.) I've been told by someone who is an official wine rep for the region of Bordeaux that they recommend that their wines (and all red wines in general) be served at less than room temp (i.e. cellar temp) and she recommended putting the bottle in the refrigerator for 25 minutes before serving. My feeling is that even if your bottle of red wine is 55-60 degrees right before serving, whether it became that temperature from spending several days in a cool cellar or being put in the freezer or the wine fridge, it will come up to room temperature fairly quickly anyway after serving anyway...so keep your house cold.

I think that the reason why most reds are served too warm is that they're stored improperly at the restaurant anyway, i.e., along the back of the bar or in a rack. Restaurants can get very hot very quickly, so you're looking at a bottle that's probably 70 degrees -- too warm for my tastes.

A lot of restaurants store and serve red wine at too high a temperature (for my taste, obviously). Decreasing the temperature can bring out additional aromas and tastes. A few times I've asked a restaurant for a bucket of ice water so that I can cool down a bottle of red wine. I've gotten strange looks, but I've also enjoyed the bottle more than I otherwise would have. Putting wine in the fridge or freezer can have the same effect.

Based on the answers I'm getting, I realize that I posed my question poorly. Let me try again: does anyone know--as a matter of chemistry--how "freezing" the wine for 15 minutes will affect it? Yes, I agree, most red wine is served too warm; yes, I agree that cooling it will affect its flavor--though I am inclined to think it will mask flaws rather than "enhance" flavor. But what I am interested in knowing is what chemical effect the sudden, presumably substantial, cooling will have as opposed, say, to storing it properly in the first place.

My guess is that Singh suggests freezing the wine for 15 minutes as an alternative to storing it at the right temperature, because she knows the vast majority of people will not have the facilties to store it properly. Chilling a wine that is at 70 degree room temperature for 15 minutes in a freezer does not drop the temperature that significantly. I've done it with white wine and you're probably going to get a temperature in the 50's. My guess is that here is no special impact on flavor beyond serving the wine at a temperature that is closer to appropriate.

in the same vein (doing something with wine that sounds sacrilegious), Nathan Myhrvold suggests putting red wine in a blender for 30-90 seconds to hyper-decant it.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/ho ... 22011.html

jfibro wrote:in the same vein (doing something with wine that sounds sacrilegious), Nathan Myhrvold suggests putting red wine in a blender for 30-90 seconds to hyper-decant it.

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/ho ... 22011.html

I got this tip from CI and have used it successfully with the de-alcoholized reds that still need breathing before serving.

Direct from the source @AlpanaSingh

15 minutes in the freezer is just looking to drop the temp by 10-15 degrees. Ice/water bath will do the same thing.
Quick method for apartment living (storing wines in cabinet)
Not entirely sure about chemistry changes, but better than drinking red wine at 75-80 degrees
Another comparison is no qualms about icing white, Champagne or rose
Only changes noted have been positive. Don't want to chill heavily tannic reds too much as it gets bitter
Considering what wines go through in transit (shipping, ocean containers, warehouse handling) 15 min is nothing

Thank you.

One other question: as I read the article, Singh says that she freezes "her" reds. It's not clear if she refers to the wines she serves at a restaurant or her own personal collection. Either way, why wouldn't she store them at the recommended temp in the first place, thus obviating the need to freeze them at all? Is it because this is the easy road for apartment dwellers that she mentioned in her tweet?

Gypsy Boy wrote:One other question: as I read the article, Singh says that she freezes "her" reds. It's not clear if she refers to the wines she serves at a restaurant or her own personal collection. Either way, why wouldn't she store them at the recommended temp in the first place, thus obviating the need to freeze them at all? Is it because this is the easy road for apartment dwellers that she mentioned in her tweet?

rickster above wrote:My guess is that Singh suggests freezing the wine for 15 minutes as an alternative to storing it at the right temperature, because she knows the vast majority of people will not have the facilities to store it properly.

You can also freeze leftover wine ( I've heard that it can happen) I've done it with cocktail whites when we are headed out of town and with reds to be used for cooking. Much better for longer term storage than gassed or vacuum. The only difference I've noticed is a somewhat diminished acid level

Gypsy Boy wrote: Yes, I agree, most red wine is served too warm; yes, I agree that cooling it will affect its flavor--though I am inclined to think it will mask flaws rather than "enhance" flavor.

It isn't either-or. Yes, cooling from 70 to 30 will mask flavors. Cooling from 80 to 60 will enhance flavors.

Just bringing the wine from a too warm room temperature to cellar temperature (say 13 degrees C) will not affect the chemistry of the wine except it will taste better. That temperature will not mask flaws (that would be more like the temp in the fridge).

On the matter of actually "freezing wine" (i.e. really freezing it, like for hours or overnight, etc.) Robert Parker states he does that for some leftover wine. I've done it routinely and the wine is remarkably preserved.

Darren72 wrote:Cooling from 80 to 60 will enhance flavors.

I'm truly not trying to be difficult here, but isn't it the case that 60, say, will merely enhance the flavors that we have come to value in wine. One set of flavors will be enhanced at 60 and others will be enhanced at 80. And, presumably, still others at 40.