A little dab'll do ya, or what to do with that leftover wine

There are never-ending, arm-wrestling debates over how to store leftover wine, as well as whether or not it’s worth it.

Wine has a biological and chemical clock. Kind of like us humans. It is sadly true, that a bottle, once opened, has a limited but wonderful life. Air and light are wine’s enemies. But, with a little ingenuity and creativity, the “good to the last drop” adage, comes true.

1. Wine Accessories:

Some relatively inexpensive gadgets are available. And, they work. One is the Vacu-Vin, which consists of a plastic hand pump (no electricity necessary, it’s all elbow grease) and special cork that sucks the air from the bottle. This will likely help build the muscles in your forearm.  Kit with two special "corks" is about $15.

Another is “Private Preserve” whichcomes in a spray can. This is an aerosol (not the kind that ruins our Earth’s ozone layer) that squirts an unseen, inert gas into the bottle, forcing out all of the oxygen and fooling the left over liquid into thinking its bottle is still full. With this one, you replace the original cork.  About $8.

Both of these work well…..for a while. About five days is the most you can expect from either one. And, it’s a good idea to keep your red wines in the coolest place (not your counter top) or refrigerate and definitely put rosé and whites in the fridge. Refrigeration slows oxidation.

If you’ve got a few extra bucks, or a zero balance on your credit card, there's the “Keeper” (sounds like a Harvey Keitel film, doesn't it?). This one uses nitrogen pressure with a special spigot. This is for the purist and runs a pure $60.00.

Another alternative and the cheapest, most recession-proof, is to have available a clean 375-ml wine bottle, otherwise known as a half bottle. If you plan on having one or two glasses, then as soon as you open your new wine bottle, pour half of it into the smaller bottle and cork immediately. This is very effective and will keep for about a week. Reason being, you’ve eliminated the excess air that would be in a large, half drunk bottle.

2. Wine as Vinegar:

The Journal of Science of Food and Agriculture, recently wrote that adding grape pomace and wine vinegar to food could reduce the risk of ill health. Stop by your nearest winemaking supply store and ask for “Mother.” The clerk won’t deliver your relative, but will instead sell you a substance made up of various bacteria — specifically mycoderma aceti. This put into a crock or glass container, adding your leftover wine and placed in a quiet, dark, warm place (60°-85°F) will turn into vinegar in about two months. Your “mother” should be transferred to a fresh mixture or discarded once the liquid has turned to vinegar. Better yet, slice off a little piece and share with friends. Salud!

3. Wine as Ice Cubes:

This is a fool-proof and easy one. Just pour your left over wine into ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen, drop the cubes into baggies. These cubes will add flavor to sauces and marinades, or toss them into a soup.

4. Wine as Secret Sauce Starter:

I spoke with a few chefs at wineries and they all like this idea. Sauté shallots and other fave herbs (rosemary, thyme, tarragon) with your left over wine and heat until it’s thick, syrupy and almost dry. This takes out all of the alcohol and imparts a complex flavor to the shallots. Use this to liven up a sauce or shake it up with olive oil, to give a deep, rich flavor to salad dressing.

5. Wine as “ Cookies al Vino”:

1 cup (250 ml) wine of any kind
1 cup (250 ml) vegetable oil
1 cup (220 g) sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
5 cups (500 g) flour
A pinch of salt
More sugar for rolling the cookies
Work all the ingredients together, until you have dough that's firm but fairly soft, like pizza dough. Roll it into cylinders that you can shape into rings, or into balls that you can flatten with the palm of your hand, or just about any shape you like.
Dredge the cookies in the granulated sugar, put them on a lightly greased cookie sheet, and bake them in a 360 F (180 C) oven for 20 minutes. Cool them on a rack, and prepare to be asked for more.

6. Wine as Tipsy Cheesey Bread:

Suppose you have a half baguette and a little left over wine. Having half a baguette is as tricky to salvage as the wine. Try this and be ready to hear a chorus of “more please.”

Half Baguette, cut into 2” slices (if the bread is hard as a rock, sprinkle with water, roll in aluminum foil and heat in low oven, till soft)
½ Sliced Yellow onion
1/8 pound of cooked ham (or prosciutto)
¾-1C of white leftover wine
1 tsp of freshly ground pepper
1 ½ Cup of grated cheese

Heat oven to 400 degrees
Place sliced baguette onto a buttered oven proof skillet or pan with sides
Put onion and ham on each slice
Pour wine over slices
Add cheese and fresh pepper
Bake 20 minutes

I am reminded of a line from “Pirates of the Caribbean,” spoken by Jack Sparrow, as he stares down the neck of an empty bottle: “Why is the rum always gone?"

Leftover wine waiting to be re-purposed