6 Uses for That Wine Bottle You Don’t Like

1. Use it in cooking

2. Make fly traps

3. Get arty

4. Clean the house

5. Give it to someone else

6. Turn it into vinegar

We’ve all been there. There’s no wine in the house, so you’re at the store. You’ve got your friend coming around in half an hour; you grab something and head back home. It’s a Pinot Noir from somewhere or another. You’re usually more of a Shiraz girl... Your friend isn’t drinking tonight, so you end up with three-quarters of a bottle left. Typical. This wine just isn’t your cup of tea (or glass of wine). Yeah, you really don’t want it. Now, what on earth are you going to do with it? What a waste. Fear not, wine lovers! For we have 6 wine uses to make you feel like a real smarty pants. No money or wine wasted here...

6 totally smarty pants wine uses for bad wine

Whether it’s leftovers from a party or a bottle you just don’t like, these 6 surprising wine uses will mean you never waste another drop. And let’s face it. If you recycle the bottle too, you’re basically saving the planet.

1. Use it in cooking

If it’s white, make risotto. If it’s red, make Bolognese, a meaty stew, or a jus (wine reduction). And it’s not just for flavour. Using red wine as a marinade for meat actually reduces its carcinogens by ninety percent. Cooking meat at high temperatures turns gives the muscle tissue carcinogenic properties. But marinating it in red wine for at least six hours before cooking reduces the cancer chemicals to almost nil. Use about a cup of red wine, the same of olive oil, and seasonings of your choice. We like chilli, garlic, and peppercorns.

2. Make fly traps

This rather assumes the bottle you don’t like is a red wine. And if it is, you’ll know just how much fruit flies love the stuff. If they’re a nuisance in your kitchen, pour half an inch of red wine into a glass and cover it tightly with cling wrap. Poke a few holes in the top to let the flies in. With any luck, they won’t be smart enough to fly out again.

3. Get arty

If you’ve ever spilled red wine on your brand-new white dress, you’ll know how effective it is at dyeing fabric. So why not get creative and use it to make a homemade rug, scarf, or toy. Simmer the wine in a large pan, add the fabric, stir it around for 10 minutes, then allow to cool. Experiment with the strength of the colours! Rinse the fabric well afterwards. You can also use the remaining wine as a watercolour paint. But remember to seal your painting with a top coat to stop dust from sticking to the surface.

4. Clean the house

So, this is perhaps the least exciting of all wine uses, but leftover vino actually has powerful cleaning properties. A microbiologist discovered that wine can efficiently disinfect kitchen surfaces. Wine is a complex solution containing several components with antimicrobial properties. Low pH, high organic acid content, relatively high ethanol (10% to 15%), and potentially high total sulphur dioxide may contribute to “inactivation of foodborne pathogens”. So there you go.

5. Give it to someone else

You might not be able to get away with palming off your open bottle to someone else. But you could turn your wine into jelly and give it to your colleagues at work or take it to a barbecue at the weekend. Who doesn’t love a white wine jelly with berries? All you need is the wine, some sugar, and a pouch of liquid pectin. MasterChef, eat your heart out.

6. Turn it into vinegar

If none of those creative wine uses take your fancy, you could just let nature take its course and turn it from wine into vinegar. White wine vinegar is a great glass cleaner, as well as being a tasty cooking ingredient. Just add a few tablespoons to water in a spray bottle. Apply to windows or mirrors and wipe dry with newspaper. One final thought for you... You could be an even smartier pants by only buying wine that you love! Give our Wine Subscription Box a go so you can try before you buy. No wastage, no worries. Just tasty samples so you can buy every bottle in total confidence.