There comes a time when what seems to be impossible, becomes a reality: leftover wine. I know, I know. How could someone let an atrocity like this happen? Well, we’ve all had those nights where we opened that extra bottle of Barefoot White Zin only to discover that that was not the wisest thing you’ve done all night. Luckily there are at least 7 things you can do with leftover wine besides drinking it.
1. Cook with it
Photo by Natsuko Mazany
So many of our favorite restaurant favorites use wine to create flavors that are impossible to recreate without using wine. Like this shrimp scampi recipe and simple white wine lemon butter pasta sauce you can finally put that leftover pinot grigio to good use.
#SpoonTip: Never use the grape juice and vinegar combo to replace wine in a recipe. It will not work, I can speak from experience #FailedValentine
2. Clean your fruits and veggies
Photo by Natsuko Mazany
This sounds completely bizarre but cleaning your produce with wine is a very effective and safe way of ridding your fruits and veggies from bacteria without using harsh chemicals. The alcohol will kill the bacteria on your fruit without harming it; just simply put some wine in a spray bottle and go at it.
3. Clean up pesky red wine stains
Photo by Natsuko Mazany
White wine actually helps lift red wine stains from various surfaces. All you have to do is pour a little white on the red stain, let it sit for 10 minutes and then rinse it with lukewarm water.
4. Bathe in it
Photo courtesy of D Sharon Pruitt
Red wine has great antioxidants that help repair damaged skin, leaving it silky smooth. It has even become a luxurious spa experience that is definitely worth trying. Both your skin and your liver will thank you.
5. Make your own red wine vinegar
Photo courtesy of FoodCraftLab
For those who are ambitious cooks, making your own red wine vinegar is a an endevour that is both rewarding and inexpensive. Plus, you’ll never have to go to the store and buy it.
6. Make sangria
Photo by Kelly Logan
We love sangria here at Spoon University so if you ever need help making your own, we’ve got an endless supply of recipes. With that, sangria never fails when you don’t know what to bring to a cookout/birthday party/holiday gathering.
7. Freeze it
Photo by Catherine Kinney
Wine ice cubes are great because you can store them for a while without it going bad. You can use theese little guys for a recipe (just throw in a couple cubes into a beef stew or pasta dish), put them in a smooth or add them to a cocktail for an extra boozy touch.