I know what you’re thinking. What is leftover wine? Yes, it’s a rare discovery in our home, too. But I was surprised to learn that open bottles of wine should be used up within 2 to 3 days. So I’ve got some creative tips for using up leftover wine, including a delicious, tomato-based red wine pasta sauce. It has more depth of flavor than your average tomato sauce, and is naturally dairy free.
How to Use Leftover Wine
Whether it’s a semi-full bottle of crisp white or a half-empty bottle of leftover red, there are creative ways to make the most of unused wine after all the holiday parties come to an end. The World Wine Guys and Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits offer the following ideas.
Make Red Wine Vinegar
Impress your guests by adding homemade red wine vinegar to your next dish. Add one part raw vinegar to two parts leftover red wine then store your mixture in a dark, cool place. Monitor periodically and keep testing until you get the desired vinegar smell. Then you can strain and refrigerate it. Use your homemade vinegar in salad dressings, sauces, and marinades.
Create Wine Ice Cubes
If you can’t use your leftover white wine right away, then pour the remaining liquid into ice cube trays and freeze. Next time you’re enjoying a glass, add some of the cubes to your wine to keep it cold. This trick also works with a rosé or sparkling wine, and keeps your pour from becoming too watered down.
Wine-Based Recipes
Both red and white wines can be used in a variety of different dishes from appetizers to desserts. Use white in these Wine-Glazed Carrots, and red in the Red Wine Pasta Sauce recipe below.
This red wine pasta sauce recipe was shared with us by WineFix.com.
Special Diet Notes: Red Wine Pasta Sauce
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, plant-based, and vegetarian. It’s also paleo-friendly, depending on your stance on red wine.
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole, peeled tomatoes
- ⅛ cup red wine (they used Villa Pozzi Nero D’Avola)
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the onion and saute for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute.
- Add the tomatoes, vinegar, red wine, salt, oregano, thyme, basil, and crushed basil and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer the sauce for about 40 minutes.
Key Pantry Supplies: Red Wine Pasta Sauce
More Staple Sauces
Basic Dairy-Free Bechamel (vegan, optionally gluten-free & allergy-friendly)
Everyday Thai Peanut Sauce (vegan, optionally gluten-free & allergy-friendly)
Healthy Hollandaise Sauce (vegan, gluten-free & soy-free)
6 Comments
Use less balsamic than stated!
I don’t usually have leftover wine, but I do sometimes pop open a bottle to use in recipes…and then I drink the rest that night. 🙂 This sauce sounds yummy!
That’s more our style, too 🙂
We always buy the little 4 packs these days because I hate wasting wine but that really limits the options. Now I have some amazing uses!
Pasta and good sauce is one of the most amazing meals on the planet. I’ll have to try this sauce!
Love these ideas! I always have 1/2 drank bottles of wine sitting around and I hate to throw them out!