Top Ten Things to Do With Your Leftover Wine
I’ll admit it – we don’t always finish the entire bottle of wine. Sad, I know. Then, we’ll get into something else like beer or booze, and suddenly about one glass of wine has been sitting in the bottle for at least a week. We try another wine, and another glass sits in that bottle. The problems of a first world citizen… Well, here at ES, we look to solve those first world problems, which is why we bring you the top things to do with your old wine.
1. Make Vinegar
Your mother makes good vinegar. But really…you can make your own vinegar with just some old wine, “mother,” cheese cloth, and a glass vessel of the appropriate size. If you have a party where there is left over wine, or tasted a few wines, you can even mix them together to fill a bottle and then use that to create your own homemade vinegar. Or, you can buy a bottle of wine to make vinegar (I vote for the other option). Once you get your mother, add the wine, let it sit, add more wine, let it sit, add more wine, let it sit, wait a month.
While this is not necessarily the “spoiled wine” route, let’s be real – nobody ever finishes a bottle of port. Wine and figs all in one! I’m typically not a fan of port, but I think I could get behind this – no matter what season!
3. Roasted Pork Loin Over Pumpkin Risotto
I know we’ve seen this one before, but it’s important to point out that even white wine can be used in cooking!
It won’t be as easy for your friends to call you an old person with this drink. Instead, they’ll be like, “oh shit, your so cool!” …Maybe not, but it’s good.
5. Filet with Brussel Sprout Medley
This looks so good that I can smell it! Red wine always pairs well with beef, but it’s just good in the jus for a savory hunk of steak. Yum.
6. “Blackout” Pasta w/Scallops and Bacon
Squid ink pasta, wine, scallops, BACON. A scaffolding of delicious buttery, sweet, and savory flavors all in one dish. And yes, you should have wine with it as well.
7. Butternut Blue Cheese Bison Chili
Chilli may as well be considered the official food of winter and football. Your whole world may be flipped upside-down after trying this hot sauce, wine, butternut squash, and blue cheese induced chili. Add some corn bread and you’re set.
Mushrooms, shallots, and wine will almost always go well together. Some may even wonder for a minute – wait, should there be beef in here? Whether they wonder or not – this veggie dish will satisfy any carnivorous palate.
Always a classic, this really needs no introduction.
10. DRINK IT!
Wine snobbery will tell you that if you don’t drink it in a few days. The wine flavors will change, and eventually, your delicious wine will turn to vinegar. While I can surely confirm that the flavors will change, I can tell you that I haven’t tasted pure vinegar in any of the old “spoiled” wines I partake in. Best advice to give? If you still like it, drink it! There’s no “right way” to drink!
