15 Ways to Use Leftover Wine

No need to let that opened bottle of Reisling or Sauv Blanc go to waste; there are plenty of delicious ways to use leftover wine. In fact, the best use of wine may be what you do with it after you’ve drunk your fill.

We asked our chefs, bakers, and bartenders about their favorite ways to finish off a bottle of vino. Here are their top tips for how to use leftover wine.

1. DEGLAZE A PAN

As you might imagine, with our own in-house bartending service at Culinary Crafts, we are never at a loss for leftover wines. One way those half-bottles of wine get used in the kitchen is to deglaze pans in order to add richness and flavor to many dishes.

What is deglazing?

Deglazing is a technique where you add wine or other liquid to a hot pan to make a delicious pan sauce using the stuck-on bits of food left in the pan after cooking. Some home cooks don’t realize that after they cook chicken or sear a steak, they leave some of the best parts in the pan! Those tiny bits of stuck-on food (called the fond) contain some amazing flavors, and deglazing the pan lets you turn that beautiful fond into a quick, delicious sauce or glaze.

How to deglaze.

It’s easy!

1. Cook your meat in a skillet (not a nonstick pan). Once your food is cooked, remove it from the pan and set it aside.
2. Pour off excess fat, leaving behind only the fond (the browned food bits stuck to the pan).
3. Add some aromatics like a minced garlic clove or a chopped shallot. Cook over low-medium heat until they become fragrant, but do not burn them.
4. Pour a small amount of wine into the pan, enough to cover the bottom by about 1/4 inch. (See note below for what kinds of wine work best.) Be careful not to hurt yourself from any hot steam that may be produced when you pour in the wine.
5. Place the pan over low heat. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to gently scrape the fond off the bottom of the pan, letting it dissolve in the wine. Allow to simmer into a thick glaze.
6. Add a bit of stock or water, then let it reduce down to the consistency you want. Add two pats of cold butter and stir vigorously until the butter emulsifies.
7. Give your pan sauce some kick by adding a squeeze of lemon or lemon zest and some fresh herbs before drizzling it over your meat.

Best wines for deglazing:

Most wine will work, but wines with high acidity are best. You’ll generally want to avoid anything overly sweet or oaky. You don’t need the highest quality wines for deglazing, but Ron’s advice is “Don’t cook with any wine you wouldn’t want to drink.” We recommend…

• A dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio, or
• A dry red like Cabernet Franc or Merlot.

  
  Photo credit Keith Westerberg
  

  2. ADD TO SAUCE OR STEW

  Adding wine in the cooking process can bring depth and sophistication to lots of sauces and stews. Here are a few we recommend:

  • Beef Bourguignon: Use Pinot Noir or other dry red.
  • Seafood Stews: Choose a lively, dry white like Sauvignon Blanc or Vermentino.
  • Coq au Vin (chicken stew): Braise in red Burgundy or Beaujolais.
  • Tomato-based Pasta Sauce: A dry red like Chianti or Merlot deepens the tomato’s sweetness and adds umami.
  • Chili: A jammy, spicy Zinfandel matches smoky chilis. Go with a Malbec for cumin-heavy chilis, a peppery Syrah for chili with smoked paprika, a Pinot Noir or dry rosé with vegetarian chili, or a Grenache for Tex-Mex style chilis.
  • French onion soup: A dry (unoaked) white gives you a lighter soup, while a dry red can give you a heartier soup with deeper flavors.
  • Thai Coconut Sauce: Try an off-dry Riesling or Gewürztraminer (sparingly) to balance spices.

  
  Photo credit Pepper Nix
  

  3. SIMMER PASTA OR GRAINS

  One of the easiest ways to use up leftover wine is to add a little to your water when you cook pasta or grains.
  Risotto and pilaf are familiar dishes that involve cooking grains in wine, but adding a few splashes of wine can boost the flavor of many dishes that use rice, quinoa, or other grains. Just use the wine in moderation (a splash or two of wine per cup of water), avoid wines that are too sweet or oaky, and bear in mind that red wines will change the color of your pasta or grain.

  • Sauvignon Blanc – Bright and citrusy; great for pilaf, risotto, or quinoa with vegetables.
  • Pinot Grigio – Clean, neutral flavor that won’t overpower delicate grains like jasmine or basmati rice.
  • Dry Vermouth – Herbal and dry, excellent for risotto or wild rice.
  • Dry Sherry (Fino) – Adds a nutty, savory depth to farro or barley dishes.
  • Chardonnay (unoaked) – Adds a bit more body and roundness to creamy risottos or couscous.
  • Dry rosé – Brings acidity and fruitiness to spring/summer pasta dishes.
  • Pinot Noir – Light-bodied and fruity, works well with red rice, barley, or wild rice alongside mushrooms or root vegetables.
  • Chianti or Sangiovese – Bright acidity and herbal notes complement farro or bulgur, especially with tomatoes or sausage.
  • Zinfandel (light style) – For richer grains like black rice or wheat berries in fall/winter dishes.

  PRO TIP: You may want to let the wine simmer uncovered for a couple of minutes to draw off most of the alcohol before adding the water.

  

  4. POACH PEARS (OR PEACHES, PLUMS, APPLES, PINEAPPLES, ETC.)

  If you’re in the mood for a classy, simple dessert, this is a fantastic use for leftover wine.

  Ingredients

  • 3 pears (use firm, smaller pears, preferably Anjou or Bosc. Soft pears will fall apart.)
  • 1 orange
  • 1 cup red wine (dry reds with a fruity profile work well—Pinot noir, Zinfandel, Syrah, or Merlot—but practically any red will do. Aromatic whites like Moscato or Gewürztraminer can work too, but you won’t get the lovely coloring of the pears.)
  • ⅛ cup honey
  • 1½ Tbsp sugar
  • ½ cinnamon stick
  • mascarpone, whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream

  Instructions

  1. Zest and juice the orange and pour into a medium bowl.
  2. Peel the pears. (If you plan to serve them whole, cut a small slice off the base to allow each pear to stand firmly upright.) Add peeled pears to the bowl and coat them in the orange juice, which will help prevent browning.
  3. Add wine, honey, sugar, and cinnamon stick to a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat and add contents of bowl. Cover, and simmer for 20-30 minutes, rotating the pears every few minutes. Pears are done when soft and tender.
  4. Remove pears and allow remaining liquid to simmer until thickened.
  5. If you are serving the pears whole, place them upright in serving dish and drizzle them with thickened liquid. Alternatively, you can slice them in half and core them. Serving them this way, you get a beautiful contrast between the white inside and the deep red outside of the pear. Top with mascarpone, whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream.

  
  Photo credit Keith Westerberg
  

  5. MAKE A REDUCTION TO DRIZZLE OVER STEAK OR VEGGIES

  When bold red wines are reduced, they develop rich, jammy flavors that go beautifully over steaks or vegetable dishes. This recipe calls for Pinot Noir, but other bold reds will work too. Consider a Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah/Shiraz, full-bodied Merlot, Zinfandel, or Nero d’Avola. Or, for a sweeter, thicker reduction, use Port or Madeira.

  
  Photo credit Logan Walker
  

  6. USE AS A MARINADE WITH HERBS AND GARLIC

  Wine is a natural base for marinading meats, vegetables, and plant-based proteins. Its acidity breaks down tough fibers and allows spices and flavors to penetrate deep into the food. The tannins in red wines add complexity to the flavors of many foods, particularly red meats and mushrooms. The sugars in sweeter wines can help in caramelization during searing or roasting.

  
  

  7. BAKE A CAKE

  Cakes that include wine in their recipe tend to be moist, aromatic, and bursting with flavor. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

  • Champagne Cake (A favorite on Culinary Crafts’ menu)
  • White Wine Pound Cake (aka Southern Crack Cake)
  • Chocolate-Red Wine Cake
  • Blackberry Red Wine Chocolate Cake
  • Tiramisu with Marsala and Mascarpone

  
  Photo credit Angela Howard Photo
  

  8. MAKE A GLAZE

  Leftover wine can be the foundation of a glaze for a wide variety of foods.

  • Red Wine Caramel Glaze for bread pudding, panna cotta, or apple tart
  • White Wine Honey Mustard Glaze for grilled foods
  • Red Wine and Molasses Glaze for meatloaf
  • Port Wine Glaze for mushrooms, cabbage, meats, and desserts
  • Red Wine and Peppercorn Glaze for ham

  
  Photo Credit Demi Rose Photography
  

  9. MAKE A SYRUP

  Practically any wine will work to make a syrup to drizzle over ice cream or cheesecake, swirl into yogurt, use on pancakes or waffles, or mix in cocktails. If you use a red wine, it will work with practically anything that has chocolate in it.

  The basic recipe is super simple: Mix equal parts sugar and leftover wine, then simmer over medium heat while stirring until sugar dissolves. If you want to add flavoring like citrus or ginger, just make sure you filter out the solids at the end of the process.

  
  Photo credit Elisha Braithwaite
  

  10. MAKE MULLED WINE

  Perhaps the best use for cheap leftover red wine (especially when the weather turns chilly) is to make mulled wine. Use a dry, full-bodied red like a cheap Garnacha, Merlot, Syrah, Zinfandel, or Cabernet Sauvignon.

  
  Photo credit Makenzie Jamias
  

  11. DRINK A COCKTAIL

  If you’ve got a leftover white wine, try a French 75, a White Wine Spritzer, or a White Sangria.

  For reds, consider a New York Sour, Red Wine Spritzer, or Kalimotxo.

  And, of course, if you have leftover sparkling wine, you can make a mimosa , bellini, or sparkling sangria.

  13. MAKE WINE VINEGAR

  If you want to improve your chances that your batch will turn out the way you want, use a little raw, live vinegar to get you started, or buy a vinegar mother online. But you probably don’t even need any of that. Just follow the simple directions here.

  A dry wine—red, white, rosé, or orange—is ideal, especially Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, or Grenache, because their acidity and lack of residual sugar facilitate the formation of vinegar.

  
  

  13. MAKE A MILKSHAKE

  The first time you try the Red Wine Milkshake at The Tasting Room in SLC, you’ll wonder why you never thought of it yourself.

  We don’t have permission to share their particular recipe, but with ingredients like vanilla ice cream, milk, and ruby port, how can you go wrong? Ruby port tastes pretty sweet, so if you’re using a drier red wine, you might want to add a sweetener—possibly cherry syrup. Or, if your leftover wine is a dry white, honey might be a great addition.

  14. FREEZE IT FOR LATER

  Finally, if you’re not ready to use your leftover wine just yet, pour it into ice cube tray and freeze it for later. Small ice cube portions are much easier to use than one solid chunk of frozen wine. Do not leave it in the bottle; the water component in the wine will expand as it freezes and break the glass.
  Frozen wine probably won’t be worth drinking later, but it will be excellent for some of the uses we’ve mentioned above.

  
  Photo credit Kristine Porter
  

  15. RECYCLE OR UPCYCLE

  Technically, this isn’t a use for leftover wine per se, but we want to throw in a plug for recycling or upcycling those bottles. Used wine bottles can make gorgeous centerpieces, bottle walls, candle holders, and more.

  Check out the Recycled Mountain Wine Glass Set we made out of Culinary Crafts’ unique wine bottles (available in our online shop).

  Looking for more ideas, or planning a high-end catered event in Utah? Contact us at 801-225-6575.