10 ways to use that very last bit of wine (and not drink it)

There it is. The bottle of red from last night. You did your best, but it was enough. You couldn’t manage the last bit. You’ll drink it sometime this week, you think. Makes sense—what else would you do with it? Think again: that last bit of wine can also have completely different, great uses. Here are 10 tips for using up your leftover wine in an original way.

And, uh… You can of course always drink that very last sip yourself. We certainly have nothing against that.

1. Use it for poaching

Poached eggs are probably familiar to you. But did you know that you can poach other ingredients too? Meat, for example, but also fish, vegetables and even fruit. It is essentially a way of cooking food very slowly, just below boiling point. Generally, we poach with water by default. Pretty boring, really. Poaching in wine works just as well. In fact, it’s a fantastic idea. The poached food gets much more flavor from it! As long as you use the right wine for the ingredient. Chicken and fish pair best with white wine, while meat goes with red wine. You can experiment nicely with eggs. Try it with a classic: poached eggs in tomato sauce.

2. Turn it into jam

An exciting version of the usually rather wholesome toast topping: jam. Super tasty, especially if you make it part of your cheese board. We previously wrote about how to turn your leftover wine into jam. You’ll see that it’s easy too.

3. Turn it into vinegar

The bottles of red and white wine vinegar from the supermarket are probably sitting in your kitchen cabinet. But we all know: homemade tastes better. And you can easily make it with your leftover wine. Admittedly, you’ll need some time. The wine vinegar needs to sit in a cool, dark place for 8 weeks. Only then is it ready to use. What do you need to do? Mix raw, unpasteurized vinegar (the “mother” of vinegar) with the leftover wine. Pour this into a jar and cover it with cheesecloth or thin kitchen paper. Done? Now comes the waiting. But two months later, you’ll have completely homemade red or white wine vinegar in your cupboard!

4. Make a syrup

Great idea: use your last bit of wine to make a syrup. You can then add it to anything, from cocktails to desserts. As with so many hacks, this is much simpler than you might think. Take one part wine and one part sugar and reduce it over low heat. Once the mixture is thicker and more syrupy, it’s ready. You can optionally flavor it with whatever you like. Cinnamon sticks are delicious, but so are orange peels and fresh herbs. Let it cool thoroughly and pour it into an airtight preserving jar or bottle. It also makes a fun gift.

5. Use it in your cupcakes

We recently gave you a crazy delicious tip: make cupcakes with Flügel in them. And one plus one naturally equals two, because why couldn’t you do the same with wine? A splash in your buttercream and cake is enough for a delicious wine flavor. Great as a treat. Just let your colleagues know if you’re going around the desks at 10 a.m. on Monday morning, I’d say.

6. Turn it into boozy grapes

Do you know boozy grapes from the freezer? At summer parties, these grape popsicles—because that’s essentially what they are—are a huge hit. You make them by “marinating” grapes in alcohol for an hour. The original recipe uses prosecco, but champagne, red or white wine work perfectly well too. Thread the grapes onto a skewer and then put them in the freezer for a few hours. Ta-da, your party hit is ready. And you’ve used up that last bit of wine too!

7. Turn it into ice cubes

Another idea that puts your freezer to good use: pour the leftover wine into an ice cube tray. In just a few hours, you’ll have very exciting ice cubes. If you want to make them extra exciting, place a piece of fruit in the middle of each ice cube. Delicious in an ice-cold glass of Spa Rood. But did you know that wine ice cubes are also ideal if you’re planning to make boeuf bourguignon or risotto soon? If the wine stays in the refrigerator and you don’t use it within a few days, you’ll have to throw it away. Freeze the wine in the form of ice cubes and there’s no rush. The wine stays good, even if boeuf bourguignon isn’t on the menu until next month. Chill.

8. Make wine-flavored salt

At HLN.be, I saw a really great tip. Add your leftover wine to salt and it gives the salt a fantastically delicious flavor. Brilliant! And not difficult at all. Preheat your oven to its highest temperature. Officially, you set it to 300 degrees, but 240 degrees may already be the maximum for your oven. Meanwhile, mix the salt with the wine: use 12 deciliters of wine per 100 grams of salt. Spread this over a baking sheet and put it in the oven. Leave it in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the salt is completely dry again. Done? Put the salt in an airtight jar and let it cool completely. Delicious on a scoop of ice cream with chocolate sauce.

9. Add it to your mayonnaise

Do you ever make your own mayonnaise? Then you may know that the mixture can split. A splash of white wine fixes that. Add the wine and whisk the mixture until it is thick and smooth. An extra bonus: it gives your mayo a little kick. You can taste the wine slightly, too.

10. Make it into a marinade

That boring piece of meat or simple piece of chicken becomes much tastier with a good marinade. Wine just happens to be the perfect base for one. Liven up the wine marinade with herbs, garlic, and fruit and vegetables (such as orange segments), and you’ll get a true flavor explosion. Tip: if you have a lot of wine left over, make this drunken chicken in red wine from Alain Caron. Heavenly.

Read also:

• Are these wines disappearing? ‘Threatened with extinction’
• Headache after 1 glass of red wine: here’s why
• Chatobi: the new online wine shop that is already our favorite

Source: Tasting Table