Chill Reds Too
Opened red wine lasts longer in the fridge. Warm it for 30 minutes before drinking.
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Wine Basics
Half a bottle left after dinner is not a problem; it is an ingredient. These leftover wine uses keep every drop working, whether it is still fresh or past its best.
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The best leftover wine uses start with good storage. As soon as you finish pouring, put the cork or screw cap back on and place the bottle in the refrigerator, red or white. Cold slows the oxidation that makes wine taste flat and nutty. For whites and rosés, three to five days is typical. Most reds last three to five days too, and lighter reds a bit less; take them out about 30 minutes before drinking so they are not too cold. A few tools add time. A vacuum pump stopper removes some air, and inert gas sprays lay a protective blanket over the wine. Pouring leftovers into a smaller, full bottle also reduces air contact. For sparkling wine, use a hinged sparkling stopper and drink it within a day or two. Our guide to how long wine lasts after opening lists times by style.
Wine that has lost its sparkle for drinking is still excellent for cooking, because heat changes it anyway. Deglaze a pan: after searing chicken, pork, or steak, add a splash of wine and scrape up the browned bits for a quick sauce. Braise: red wine forms the base of beef stew, short ribs, and coq au vin. Risotto: dry white wine goes in after toasting the rice. Steam mussels or clams in white wine with garlic and butter. Marinate meats; the acidity adds flavor. Add depth to tomato sauce with a half cup of red. As a rule, match the wine to the food: dry whites for poultry, seafood, and cream, and fruity reds for red meat and tomato. Our full guide to cooking with wine explains which styles work best.
Freezing is the easiest way to save wine you will not finish in time. Pour it into an ice cube tray; once frozen, move the cubes to a labeled freezer bag. Standard ice cube compartments hold roughly one to two tablespoons each, so they are perfect for adding a measured splash to pan sauces and soups. You can also freeze larger amounts in small containers for stews. Leave room for expansion, since wine expands as it freezes, and never freeze a full glass bottle. Because wine contains alcohol, it may freeze a little softer than water. Frozen wine is meant for cooking, not drinking; freezing changes its texture and aroma. Frozen white wine cubes are also handy for chilling sangria without watering it down.
Leftover wine makes great mixed drinks. Sangria is the classic: combine red wine with chopped oranges, apples, and berries, a little sugar or orange juice, and a splash of brandy, then chill for a few hours. White or rosé sangria with peaches and citrus is lovely in summer. A spritzer, half wine and half sparkling water over ice, refreshes a white or rosé that is slightly tired. In cold weather, warm red wine gently with orange peel, cinnamon, cloves, and a little honey to make mulled wine; keep it below a simmer so it does not taste harsh. Leftover sparkling wine that has gone a little flat works in a mimosa with orange juice or a bellini with peach purée. For spiced, cozy ideas, see our best winter wines guide.
Poached pears are an elegant way to use red wine: simmer peeled pears in wine with sugar, cinnamon, and orange peel until tender, then reduce the liquid to a syrup. Wine granita is simple: sweeten wine, freeze it in a shallow pan, and scrape with a fork every half hour. Red wine reduction with a little sugar becomes a sauce for ice cream or chocolate cake. Leftover Port or dessert wine can soak berries or flavor whipped cream. Some people make homemade wine vinegar by combining leftover wine with a vinegar starter, called a mother, and letting it ferment for several weeks; it takes patience, but the result is delicious. Keep an eye on the jar and discard anything that grows fuzzy mold.
Not every leftover is worth saving. If wine smells sharply of vinegar or nail polish remover, it has developed volatile acidity and will taste the same in your food. If it smells like wet cardboard or a damp basement, it is corked, and that musty flavor carries into cooking too. Wine that has turned deep brown and tastes flat and stale is past even cooking use. Mold, fizz in a still wine, or a strange smell are also signs to discard it. As a simple test, taste a small sip: if you would not want that flavor in your sauce, do not use it. Avoiding waste in the first place helps too; a half-bottle or a boxed wine, which stays fresh for weeks after opening, suits households that drink a glass at a time.
Put the cork or cap back on as soon as you finish pouring to limit oxygen.
Store reds and whites in the fridge, where cold slows oxidation for several days.
Check that the wine still smells pleasant and not like vinegar or wet cardboard.
Drink it, cook with it, mix sangria or mulled wine, or turn it into a dessert.
Pour extra wine into ice cube trays and store the cubes in a labeled freezer bag.
| Leftover Wine | Best Use | How Long It Keeps Open |
|---|---|---|
| Dry white or rosé | Pan sauces, risotto, steamed mussels | 3–5 days, refrigerated |
| Light red | Mushroom sauces, sangria | 2–3 days, refrigerated |
| Full-bodied red | Braises, stews, poached pears | 3–5 days, refrigerated |
| Sparkling wine | Mimosas, bellinis, risotto | 1–2 days with a stopper |
| Port or fortified wine | Sauces, desserts, soaking fruit | Several weeks; varies by style |
| Any wine past its prime | Freeze in cubes for cooking | Months in the freezer |
Opened red wine lasts longer in the fridge. Warm it for 30 minutes before drinking.
Decant leftovers into a small, full bottle to cut down on air contact.
Mark red or white and the date so you grab the right wine for each recipe.
Learn Your Taste
Answer a few simple questions and discover styles that fit your palate.
Take the Wine QuizYes. Re-corked and refrigerated, most still wines are perfectly enjoyable the next day and often for three to five days. Some young, tannic reds even taste better on day two after extra contact with air.
Yes, for cooking. Freeze it in ice cube trays or small containers, leaving room for expansion. Frozen wine works well in sauces, soups, and stews, but freezing changes its texture and aroma, so it is not ideal for drinking.
Generally, no. Wine that has oxidized or turned to vinegar tastes unpleasant but is not usually harmful, because alcohol and acidity prevent most bacteria from growing. Discard any wine with visible mold or a truly rotten smell.
Use it in beef stew, short ribs, or tomato sauce, make sangria or mulled wine, or poach pears in it with sugar and spices. You can also reduce it into a glossy sauce or freeze it in cubes.
Deglaze pans for chicken or fish, add it to risotto, steam mussels, or make a cream sauce. Slightly tired white wine also works in a spritzer, white sangria, or a marinade for poultry and seafood.
Yes. Flat or fading Champagne works in mimosas, bellinis, risotto, and sauces for fish. With a proper sparkling stopper in the fridge, it stays fizzy enough to drink for about a day or two.
