Creative Ideas for Cooking with Leftover Wine
Tips and Recipes for Using Leftover Red or White Wine in the Kitchen
Apr 10, 2009
There are many possibilities for using leftover wine in your everyday cooking. Here are several cooking tips, as well as recipes, all of which are work great with leftover wine. Some people insist on cooking only with fresh wine; however, in many recipes the wine exists only to give a little added dimension to the flavour of the food, and there is no discernible difference between using fresh wine or leftover wine.
First of all, store the leftover wine carefully to give it a longer life. Once the cork is pulled out of the bottle and the wine comes into contact with air, oxidation begins. Recork the wine firmly and store it in the fridge, where the cold temperature slow the oxidation process. You may also want to transfer the wine into a half-bottle, which reduces the amount of air that the wine is in contact with. Some people use rubber corks to reseal the wine, because it provides a tighter seal than the original cork.
Another option for keeping the wine fresh for cooking purposes is to pour it into an ice cube tray, and then store the frozen wine-cubes in a ziplock bag in the freezer. This makes it convenient to add small quantities of wine to dishes when cooking.
Ideas for using red wine:
- If the bottle has been open for no more than one or two days, the wine is still perfect for poaching fruit. Fresh pears that are in season are excellent candidates.
- If the bottle has been open for no more than one or two days, it can be used to make sangria, where the quality of the wine is not as important as it is in other drinks. Simply pour the wine into a large pitcher, add fresh sliced fruit (apples, oranges, limes, pears, blackberries and plums all work well) and one spoonful of sugar. You may also add a splash of fresh lime juice and a splash of triple sec. Chill for several hours, and add an equal part of club soda just before serving.
- Recently opened wine can also be used to marinate strawberries. Rinse and quarter fresh, ripe strawberries and place them in a glass bowl. Sprinkle a dusting of sugar on top, and pour the wine over the berries. Refrigerate for several hours before serving.
- Add a splash of red wine to any recipe that uses cooked tomatoes: marinara, bolognese sauce, spaghetti sauce, lasagna sauce, tomato soup (try this recipe here)... the possibilities are nearly endless.
- Try making the classic French recipe, coq au vin, a chicken stew that marinates the chicken in red wine to tenderize it.
- Add a splash of red wine to any recipe that uses cooked beef: beef stew, beef bourgignon, beef borscht, or more.
- Even if the wine has been open for a week or more and is beginning to smell a bit like vinegar, it can still make a great salad dressing. Try making a typical oil and vinegar dressing, and just substitute red wine for the balsamic vinegar. Typical proportions are one part wine to two parts olive oil, with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Ideas for using white wine:
- Add a splash of white wine to any recipe that uses seafood: mussels, grilled fish, shrimp scampi or bouillabaisse (try this recipe here)
- Add a splash of white wine to any cream sauce, béchamel, or beurre blanc.
- Try making white wine sangria. Follow the directions for sangria above, substituting white wine for the red. Add a splash of peach juice instead of lime juice, and add light-coloured sliced fruit such as oranges, pears, peaches or nectarines.
