It would be a waste of a good drop to just pour it down the drain or let it sit in the kitchen, getting more vinegary by the day.
Here are some top ideas for how to put that leftover wine to good use.
Cook with it
Leftover wine is a great ingredient to deglaze pans or to make sauces, jus or reductions. Add it to your next risotto, stew or pasta sauce.
Gardening
You can pour your leftover red wine into the compost bin to help activate the bacteria that turn the compost into fertiliser for your garden. A little red wine directly on the garden can also work as a liquid fertiliser on its own – just don’t overdo it, and make sure to water the plants regularly.
Make your own vinegar
Pour your leftover wine into a glass bottle or jar and cover with cheese cloth. Let sit for a couple of weeks to ferment and use in place of red or white wine vinegar in recipes, on salads, or served as a dipping sauce with olive oil.. Make sure to add more wine as you use the vinegar to keep the jug level consistent.
Save for later
If all else fails, you can simply keep the wine for a later day. Pour into an ice-cube tray and freeze, then store the cubes in zip-lock bags in the freezer. These cubes will help to boost the flavour of your sauces and stews, and are perfect when a recipe only calls for a tablespoon or two of wine. They can also be used in sangria. For a selection of delicious recipes using wine, click here.
