What to do With Leftover Wine? 12 Recipes

Let’s be honest; wine doesn’t last forever. In fact, a really good bottle of wine should be enjoyed within just a couple of days. Luckily, a good bottle of wine doesn’t have to go down the drain just because it’s past its prime. Here are 12 recipes that will answer the question, what to do with leftover wine?

How Long Does an Open Bottle of Wine Last?

A good bottle of red wine lasts around three days once opened, so long as it is kept in a cool spot away from direct light and with the cork tightly sealing the bottle. A bottle of white wine will usually keep for up five days in the refrigerator with a cork-tight seal.

Dessert wines and fortified wines will usually last several weeks longer. I find a bottle of Port tastes just fine in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Other dessert wines that aren’t fortified, like Sauternes, can last for up to several weeks as well.

What to Do with Leftover Wine

Cook With It

This one may seem obvious, but the simple addition of wine to a recipe is perfect for enhancing flavor and adding complexity. If I’m making a buttery cream sauce for shrimp scampi, for example, I find white wine is a necessity. For tomato sauces, red wine is ideal for elevating the sauce.

Alternatively, red wine also makes for a great marinade. I’ve found this recipe handy on more than one occasion.

Check this out: Thai clams steamed in tom yum and lemongrass

Make a Cocktail

Wine cocktails are popular and make perfect use of an already open bottle of wine. From sangria to mulled wine to spritzers, the opportunity is endless.

Here are some of my favorite suggestions:

• Summertime Sangria- check out this handy article.
• Wine spritzer– combine white or rosé wine with fresh fruit and soda water- here’s a recipe.
• Mulled wine- simply simmer wine (red or white) with spices, sugar, and a liqueur of your choice- here’s a recipe.
• Champagne simple syrup to use in place of boring plain simple. I found a great recipe here.
• Red wine and cola- don’t knock it till you try it. I was initially skeptical, but this is surprisingly refreshing. Simply combine equal parts dry red wine with cola and serve with a squeeze of a lemon wedge – it’s called the kalimotxo!

Make Wine-Infused Salt

My personal favorite, this surprisingly easy hack makes for a perfect gift or accent on a nice meal. Simple, yet sophisticated and wildly creative. I’ve included a recipe (with variations) down below!

Jump to Recipe

Bake With It

Just like with dinner, wine is a perfect addition to a host of dessert recipes. Ideally, this would incorporate an already opened bottle of dessert wine, such as Port, Sauternes, or Moscato. I’ve also recently developed a minor obsession with this Prosecco cake.

Check this out: Chocolate mousse, made with coffee liqueur – but easily could be swapped with Pork, and the whipped cream incorporates an ice wine as well.

FAQs

Tips for Preserving Wine

There are steps to preserving a good bottle of wine that you’d like to last a day – or two – longer. Here are some of my recommendations:

• Vacu-Vin- I have one, and I used to use it every day at the winery I worked for. It’s simple and affordable and uses a pump to extract oxygen from the bottle.
• Coravin- More pricey than the vacu-vin, but ideal for preserving a bottle of wine for up to a month without opening it. It uses a needle to pierce the cork, then argon to push the wine out while preventing oxygen from getting in the bottle. Ideally, a coravined bottle of wine should be consumed after 3-4 weeks.
• Wine fridges- Wine ages exponentially faster at room temperature, which is why wines are best stored between 55-59°F. Wine fridges can be as spendy as you want, but for storing your nicest bottles, it is well worth the investment.