It does happen occasionally – there’s half of a bottle of wine left over and you might not know what to do with it. Don’t worry, and, more importantly, don’t let it go to waste. Have a look at these ideas for leftover wine so that, should the unthinkable ever happen to you, you’re prepared!
Freeze it
If you’re staring at the half-full bottle and you’re out of inspiration, just pour it into a clean ice cube tray and cover it over. It won’t be particularly drinkable once it’s thawed out, but it’ll work a treat in stews, risottos, ragus and many other recipes.
Cook pasta in it
Yup, seriously! Drunken spaghetti (or whatever other pasta you fancy) takes on an amazing light purple hue that looks amazing against, say, red peppers and bright green parsley, as well as a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. You start the pasta off in water as usual, then transfer it to at least half a bottle of a good red like Zinfandel and let nature take its course.
Make a granita
This is just one step up from freezing it, really. Just add sugar and, for example, orange juice or even crushed watermelon. Watermelon works better with fruity whites, and for reds, you could use raspberries or even coffee to go in the mix. Whatever you do, a dollop of top-notch vanilla ice cream alongside it is the order of the day.
Use it as a cleaner
This might seem sacrilegious, but as you know, white wine doesn’t keep long once it’s been opened and so if it is too late to save that bottle of zesty white, then you can still put it to service in the kitchen. Mix the wine with sodium bicarbonate and leave it to work on grease stains before the clothes go into the laundry.
Bathe in it
This is a bit leftfield, but the tartaric acid in red wine serves as a gentle exfoliator. You can either pour your leftovers into the bath, or mix it with your shower gel and let it work its magic.