Leftover wine from a party can be used in a variety of dishes, from sauces and reductions to desserts and pickling, according to a panel of chefs. The approach depends on the quantity of wine remaining.
Small Amounts: Sauces and Reductions
For small amounts of leftover red or white wine, Jon Atashroo, head chef and owner of Where There's Smoke in North Yorkshire, suggests adding them to sauces, whether for pasta or to deglaze a pan before making a gravy. Joe Otway, chef and co-owner of Higher Ground in Manchester, agrees that reducing wine in the base of a dish is generally a good idea.
In a tomato-based dish such as ragu or chilli, after sweating the vegetables and achieving caramelisation on the bottom of the pan, a glass of red wine can add acidity, depth, and sweetness. Wine dregs can also be frozen for later use by pouring them into ice-cube trays.
Medium Amounts: Stews, Pickling, and Desserts
For medium amounts, Atashroo suggests using wine in stewy, fish-type dishes such as moules marinière. Another option is pickling, with a basic recipe of one part caster sugar, one part white-wine vinegar, and one part white wine. For pickling beetroot, cook it in the mix, while cucumbers should be added cold.
Atashroo also recommends a sweeter option: weigh some red wine (white wine would also work), add 20% of its weight in sugar, and reduce to a syrup with the consistency of strawberry sauce. The result is complex and acidic, almost like reduced port, and is great for drizzling over vanilla ice-cream. Fruit such as peaches, figs, or pears poached in wine is also a good dessert option.
Larger Amounts: Vinegar and Beurre Blanc
Larger amounts of excess wine can be fermented into vinegar. Otway suggests adding a couple of tablespoons of natural cider vinegar (one with a mother) to about a third of a bottle of wine, covering it with muslin to allow oxygen in but keep flies out, and leaving it in a cupboard for a month. This yields interesting results as the vinegar takes on the characteristics of the wine, making it perfect for dressings.
For leftover sparkling wine, Alastair Walling, head chef at Bar Blondie in London, recommends using it in a beurre blanc. Combine vinegar, shallots, and a sprig of thyme in a small, heavy-based saucepan and gently reduce the liquid by half. Add champagne and finely diced mushrooms, then reduce by half again. Remove the thyme, lower the heat, and whisk in chilled butter a little at a time, keeping the sauce just below a simmer to prevent splitting. Season with salt and white pepper and serve over steamed fish.
Another Drink Option
Perhaps the simplest solution is to repurpose the wine in another drink, such as sangria. Jonny Lake of Trivet and Labombe by Trivet in London suggests adding a generous amount of brandy to red wine, plus orange juice and slices of orange and lemon, and leaving it to infuse. Serve straight over ice or topped with soda.
