It doesn’t happen often, but every now and again we find ourselves with some extra wine at the end of the evening that we know we’re not going to consume within the next several days (shockingly enough). For us, this occurs most often after our book club. At these book clubs each guest brings a bottle of wine to the occasion and all of them get opened, meaning we often have a few unfinished bottles by the evening’s end. A little leftover wine for the next night (or for the clean-up process) can be a treat, but sometimes (only sometimes) it’s just too much. While some might pour said wine down the drain, we prefer less destructive methods for dealing with the “nectar of the gods.” If you’re like us and prefer to put the leftover wine to good use, try one the below ideas. And, if you have additional suggestions for how to use leftover wine, let us know!
Ice Cubes
This is a great way to store your wine for future use. The first step is to measure how much wine fits into each cube (pour the wine into one cube and then pour the contents into a measuring cup), so that you know how many cubes you need when you’re ready to use them. Once the cubes are frozen, you can put them in a Ziploc bag and store in your freezer until a recipe calls for wine. You can use them for a base of a sauce, toss them into a soup, add them to sangria — the possibilities are endless!
Soups & Stews
If you’re looking to bump the flavor of your soup or stew up a notch, consider using a little leftover wine. Need some inspiration? Try one of these delicious dishes:
Vinegar
Did you know you can make your own vinegar at home? It’s not only great for the condiment cupboard, it also makes a great gift for a friend (who doesn’t love homemade gifts?)! All you need is a glass container, 2 cups of red or white wine, some water and a liquid vinegar starter. Head on over to the Williams-Sonoma blog for instructions.
Wine Cocktails, Mulled Wine & Sangria
Still in the drinking mode, but want to shake things up? Use the leftover wine in a wine cocktail. Visit our recent post about wine cocktails, which includes recipes for mulled wine and sangria.
Red Wine Lollipops
We’ve been dying to share these guys with you for a while now. It’s not the simplest of recipes (although there aren’t that many ingredients and you only need about 1 1/2 cups of wine), but it’s such a treat that we couldn’t resist sharing. If you make these, you’ll definitely impress your foodie friends. Find the recipe here.
Steamed Mussels
If you have 2 cups of dry white wine leftover and have a craving for some mussels, you’ve got the perfect match. By creating a broth of white wine, shallots, garlic and salt, you have a flavorful base in which to steam your mussels. Find the recipe at Martha Stewart.
Wine Syrup
We’re huge fans of the Kitchn team, so we were delighted to find their recipe for wine syrup (you need 3 cups of wine for each cup of sugar). The syrup can be used on ice cream, salad dressings, as a marinade, on fresh fruit and anything else you dream up. Check out the recipe and more ideas for how to use wine syrup here.
Looking for more recipes that call for wine? Check out our Wine + Food board on Pinterest.
