Guide

Not a drop wasted: What to do with leftover wine

10.7.2019

Translation: machine translated

After dinner, the bottle of wine is still a quarter full. You put it in the cupboard as a cooking wine and make the mistake of assuming that the wine is no longer suitable for cooking. But it would be easy to preserve the fine wine.

A disclaimer up front: If the wine has cones, pour it away. It can no longer be saved. It is also useless as a cooking wine. However, if you have leftover wine that you no longer want to drink, you can still use it. Under normal conditions, wine that has been opened can only be drunk for a short time. Two days after opening, the flavour of the wine is gone.

Keep the wine drinkable

There are various ways in which you can "preserve" the wine for further enjoyment. I was really impressed by the Coravin. With this device, you pierce the cork and pour the wine into the glass without adding oxygen. This solution is perfect for high-class wine that you still want to drink weeks later.

Wine accessories

Coravin Model 2 Set

Wine pourer

Wine pumps are simpler and cheaper: you seal the wine with a plastic cork and remove the air. This allows much less oxygen to reach the fermented grape juice, keeping it fresh for up to a week. However, the flavour of the wine cannot be preserved for longer with the vacuum pump.

Wine accessories

CHF25.70

Vacu Vin Vacuum Wine Saver

Wine pump

Cooking wine glass

A glass jar with a screw cap or a preserving jar with a rubber seal is ideal for storing wine as cooking wine in the fridge. Pour in any leftover wine and you're good to go. I have one glass for red wine and one for white wine. You can mix wines from different grape varieties without any problem. Cooking wine is suitable for dishes that require a little wine for flavour. I wouldn't use it to cook risotto; it's better to use a freshly opened bottle of wine.

Wine accessories

Coravin Model 2 Set

Wine pourer

Freezing

You can also put the wine in an ice cube mould and freeze it. As soon as you need wine for a sauce, for example, take out two or three ice wine cubes and put them in the pan.

Ice cube moulds

CHF15.90

Joseph Joseph Quicksnap Plus

Reduction

I always need white wine reductions for hollandaise or bernaise sauces. I therefore process leftover white wine directly into a reduction and keep it in the fridge for up to a month. Mix equal parts wine and vinegar and bring to the boil with shallots, pepper, herbs and salt. Reduce by half, strain and pour into a jar with a screw lid.

Make the vinegar

This is what a vinegar mother looks like.

Making your own vinegar is easy. You will need a vinegar mother, which you can either get from a friend or order online. It is important that you use a glass or clay container with as large a liquid surface as possible so that the vinegar can breathe. Pour the vinegar mother in with the wine and wait a few weeks until your own vinegar is ready. Do not close the container, but cover it with a cloth. Filter the finished vinegar with a coffee filter and pour it into bottles. However, be sure to keep your mother vinegar and some vinegar so that you can continue producing it.

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Simon Balissat

Teamleader Editorial

Simon.Balissat@digitecgalaxus.ch

When I flew the family nest over 15 years ago, I suddenly had to cook for myself. But it wasn’t long until this necessity became a virtue. Today, rattling those pots and pans is a fundamental part of my life. I’m a true foodie and devour everything from junk food to star-awarded cuisine. Literally. I eat way too fast.

Cooking