Of course, the logical answer to the question, “What do I do with leftover rosé?” is that there should be no such thing in the first place. But we’ve all opened one bottle too many during a gathering with friends, or discovered a bottle we opened days later languishing at the back of the fridge.
Assuming you don’t feel like drinking your leftover rosé, there are a number of good uses for it. Here are eight fantastic solutions to save your wine from the dreaded drain pour.
Cook with it
Wine takes center stage in a number of classic dishes, from Coq au Vin to Beef Bourguignon. Additionally, chefs will sometimes add a splash of wine to “deglaze” a pan when preparing sauces or searing meat and fish, releasing the sweet caramelized sugars coating the base. The options for cooking with rosé are endless, though we recommend swapping into recipes that call for white wine rather than red. Avoid preparations that incorporate cream or butter, too, as the aim is to keep the dish light, fruity, and refreshing — just like a glass of rosé.
Make vinegar
Vinegar is the ultimate destination for all grape juice. While no chef would recommend substituting spoiled wine for store-bought vinegar, that doesn’t mean you can’t create a food-worthy vinegar from leftover wine. The process requires little more than the remnants of a decent bottle and a hearty dose of patience. The end result is a tart, sour seasoning that adds the perfect tang to summer salads.
Make vinaigrette
Don’t have the patience to make your own vinegar? Rosé-seasoned salad can still feature on the menu by means of rosé vinaigrette. For a simple salad dressing, combine one part rosé with two parts oil, and whisk in a tablespoon each of dijon mustard and agave nectar, then season to taste with a squeeze of lemon and salt and pepper.
Rosé sangria
Ideal for daytime summer gatherings, rosé sangria tones down the alcohol content and delivers a punch of fruit flavor with orange juice and a fresh fruit garnish. Enjoying sangria shouldn’t be confined to when you have company, however. Got a quarter-bottle of rosé to spare? That’s just the right amount for a glass or two of VinePair’s delicious rosé sangria.
Rosé simple syrup
Bartenders adjust the sweetness of cocktails using a mix of sugar and water, aptly named simple syrup. Preparation is as easy as the name suggests, combining equal parts of the two ingredients. Swap out the water for leftover rosé for a sweet, fruity syrup with an attractive pink hue. For the best results, we recommend a fresh style of rosé with bracing acidity.
Cocktails
With its fruity character and bright acidity, rosé offers a great base for a number of cocktails. From the Rosé Cobbler to the Summer Water Roségroni, these five cocktails make excellent use of the last splashes of a bottle of rosé.
Rosé ice cubes
When the thermometer rises, enjoying a cool glass of refreshing rosé can seem like a race against the clock. But not when you add a rosé ice cube. The ice helps keep wine cooler for longer, without any of the dilution that results from adding a standard ice cube.
Frosé
Slushy and cold, frozen rosé is simple to prepare and ideal for leftover wine. In a blender, combine 10 ice cubes, two ounces of simple syrup, two cups of frozen red berries, and half a bottle of wine, then puree until smooth. Dial up the rosé factor by including your new supply of rosé simple syrup and rosé ice cubes, and garnish with fresh berries.
