From Mulled Wine to marinades, that half-finished bottle can do just about everything.
Leftover wine sounds like an easy lay-up for a Dad joke (“Leftover wine? Never heard of it!”), but it’s been known to happen. Maybe you needed a cup of wine for a recipe, opened a bottle late in the evening or simply felt like a single glass. Leftovers happen.
Whatever the reason, leftover wine can feel like a bit of a ticking timebomb – a real use-it-or-lose-it situation. Wine typically only has a day or two in it once it’s open (unless you have a fancy storage system, but we’ll get to that), and it can often drop off in quality across that time. And since nothing feels so much like a dagger to our wine-loving hearts as tipping a leftover bottle down the drain, we’re pleased to say there are plenty of ways to use that half-empty bottle, whether you’re keen for another drink or happy to get a little creative. Here’s how to make the most of your leftover wine.
First things first: if you can keep wine fresh after it’s been opened, that’s always a good way to go. Wine hates oxygen, so when you open a bottle and the wine inside is exposed to the air, it starts a process that will eventually end with flavours fading and (sometimes) some pretty unattractive, vinegary notes. Not good news at all.
Luckily, there are some ways to keep that oxygen at bay. Usually, that involves argon, a gas that’s heavier than air and can provide a protective (and safely inert) air-proof barrier for our leftover wine. This is how systems like Coravin work, and it can be a great idea if you’re a regular one-glass type and have the money to spend.
Your other storage option is to freeze the wine – ideally into cubes for easy portioning. This isn’t a good plan if you still want to drink the wine, but it’ll be fine for other uses like cooking (see below).
And remember: good wine storage is important even before you open the bottle.
Just because you opened a bottle of wine last night doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with it today. In fact, some wine might actually be better the next day, but the only way to know is to smell it and taste it to see for yourself. If you think it’s fine and just want to drink it as normal then that’s a good call. If, on the other hand, your bottle has lost a little flavour or you want to switch things up, try some wine-based mixers, like the ideas below.
Kalimotxo (pronounced ‘cali-mocho’) is a mix of red wine and Coca-Cola and we know what you’re thinking but, please do not underestimate this humble blend. The Kalimotxo, pictured, is a Basque country specialty and, like its Spanish cousin Tinto de Verano (which uses lemonade instead of Coke), the locals often prefer it to Sangria because it’s way easier to make. It’s seriously delicious, too – just add whatever leftover red you’re packing and load up with plenty of ice.
Sangria is a Spanish wine punch and it’s great. It’s usually based on a bottle of light red wine (tempranillo, grenache or pinot noir are ideal) and even if your wine of choice has lost a little flavour, it won’t matter – the brandy, sugar and fruit will do all the heavy lifting.
Mulled wine is the cold weather sibling of Sangria and co. and, whenever we walk into a bar with a steaming, aromatic vat on the counter, we simply must order a cup. Luckily, Mulled Wine is also dead simple to do at home, using up spices you might well have in your cupboard, plus your surplus wine and that leftover brandy we all seem to have.
The classic Whiskey Sour blends American whiskey (usually bourbon or rye) with lemon juice, sugar syrup and, optionally, a little egg white for that classic foam on top. The New York Sour says yeah-nah to the egg white and adds a little red wine instead. The addition provides an extra fruity touch and it looks pretty, too.
With its acidity, alcohol and (for red wine, least) tannin, wine is great in and on food. The same is basically true of leftover wine, but definitely avoid using anything with off flavours. If you follow our advice above and freeze your leftover wine, you’ll be ready to go at a moment’s notice.
- Braising
A good place to start is braising – basically slow-cooking food in a flavoursome liquid. Dishes like beef Bourguignon (a beef and red wine stew), coq au vin (chicken and red wine) and ragu (both red and white wine work great) are helped with a healthy glug of wine, but there are endless ways to braise. As long as it doesn’t taste bad, your leftover wine will do fine here And you don’t need any special equipment for a braise – just a pot that can go in the oven.
- Deglazing
Braising is a low-and-slow cooking technique where everything ends up tender and rich thanks to that wine. If you haven’t got hours to spare, though, you can definitely still cook with your wine, and a technique called deglazing is a perfect way to go.
You know when you’re cooking on the stove and a brown crust starts to form on the bottom of the pan? That’s technically called a ‘fond’ and (unless it’s jet black and burnt) it’s a whole lot of flavour. The best way to get that flavour back in your food is by deglazing, which means adding a little liquid and scraping the pan clean with a wooden spoon. You can use water for this, of course, but a splash of day-old wine will add plenty of flavour.
- Marinades
Wine might lose its flavour after it’s been open for a while, but it won’t lose acidity – and that’s gold when it comes to a marinade. Next time you’re trying to pack flavour into your dinner, add your protein (chicken, beef, pork, lamb – it’s all good) to a bowl or ziplock bag, pour in a little wine (zesty whites are great for those lighter meats), some herbs, spices and seasonings and let it all hang out in the fridge for a few hours. When it’s time to cook, you’ll have a whole bunch of extra flavour, while the acidity in the wine will have helped tenderise the meat. Genius.
- Vinegar
Vinegar literally means ‘sour wine’ in Old French, so it’s fair to say you can use your leftovers to make a batch. All you’ll need is your leftover wine, raw vinegar with ‘mother’ (that’s the living yeast and bacteria that make the magic happen), a big jar and some time to kill. Check out this recipe for a more detailed explanation and get ready for the best vinegar of your life.
