Leftover wine? Who ever heard of such a thing. Well, if by chance you have a glass or two hanging around after your holiday party or get together, we have a few suggestions from Leslie Sbrocco for how to put that leftover wine to great use.
Drink it.
Leslie Sbrocco, our Director of Sommology, says delicate whites and rosés are good for 2 – 3 days with cork in and stored in the refrigerator. Heartier reds can last up to 5 days with cork in and in refrigerator. “It’s not that the wine will go BAD (that takes a long time) but it will taste less fruity and fresh,” says Leslie. A good way to keep wine for longer periods of time is to use a Wine Saver or save a screw top bottle and pour your wine in that. It will last well over a week or longer in the refrigerator, Leslie says, which slows oxidation. You could also use that last splash for a wine cocktail or wine drink, like our favorite Red Wine Hot Cocoa (pictured below).
Cook with it.
Leslie says you can use dry white wines in pretty much everything. Sweeter whites are good for turkey or chicken gravy, teriyaki-based sauces, and reductions for cooked fruit dishes. “I avoid using red wines in sauces that have a buttery base. The red color turns white sauces a murky pink. I only use red wines in braised meat dishes and tomato-based sauces, where you want a deep, dark hue in the sauce/dish.” Pop on over to our Sommology page for some wine recipe ideas!
Freeze it.
Wine cubes are totally a thing. Just grab an empty ice tray and fill ‘er up! You can use the wine cubes in your sauce or salad dressing later, or you can take a tip from the wine expert herself. “I freeze any kind of red and white wine and use the cubes in sauces and soups. I freeze sparkling wine and add the cubes to OJ for a reserve mimosa.” Genius! We’ll be right over, Leslie.
So, when you can’t quite finish off the bottle, there are some great ways to use leftover wine. What ideas will you come up with? Tag us @travelingvineyard on Instagram and show us what you got!
