15 Things To Do With Leftover Wine (If You Actually Have Some)

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There are a few things I hate in life: people who have no spatial awareness on sidewalks, companies that share my contact information with others and…wasting wine. It’s such a pity to throw out wine. But right now, on lockdown, I find myself at risk of doing so. It’s just me and my boyfriend and my dog, and my boyfriend doesn’t drink wine. I can really only handle one glass of wine a night if I don’t want a headache the next day. And, at that rate, I find myself with a glass or two left in a bottle when the bottle turns sour.

This is not a time to be wasting anything though. I’ve been to the stores. I see how people are wiping out the shelves and how the good but affordable wine is dwindling away. So I refuse to throw away extra wine. Fortunately, just because wine is too old to drink doesn’t mean it’s useless. There are a lot of things we can do with wine.

While many of us may be facing dry and bland recipes because we were ill-prepared for quarantine, or just didn’t think about picking up sauces and seasonings in the midst of hoarding toilet paper and canned beans, having some excess wine on hand could be just what you need to add flavor to meals. So don’t be afraid to open a bottle that you won’t finish. And don’t try to get your quarantine buddy who exclusively loves Budweiser (or is that just mine?) into wine just so you can finish every bottle. It isn’t going to happen. Also, don’t drink a whole bottle to yourself for fear of letting it go bad. Nobody needs a hangover during the apocalypse. Err, I mean, social-distancing period. Here are things you can do with leftover wine.

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Caramelize onions

Caramelized onions taste good on toast, burgers, poached eggs, grilled cheese sandwiches, turkey breast, pizza, and all sorts of things. Caramelize your red onions with some leftover red wine to really make their flavor pop and keep them from drying out in the pan.