Waste Not Want Not

We are all for the simple pleasures in life. One such pleasure is opening a bottle of wine at the end of the day with an evening meal. Nothing fancy, mind you, but a drinkable table wine that doesn't break the bank. However, finishing that bottle of wine in one sitting is not always par for the course, begging the question, What to do with leftover wine?

Everyone is on a budget these days, and dumping wine down the drain does not earn points in frugality. So in the spirit of no waste, here are a few recommendations for those multiplying wine bottles that crowd our refrigerator shelf or kitchen counter:

Drink it! Try making Gløgg or mulled wine. Warm wine with spices is very forgiving, so remnants from numerous bottles are welcome. Heat a pot, light a fire in the fireplace, put out some cheese or salty nibbles. Then enjoy a cosy moment and take pleasure in not letting those last sips go to waste.

Cook it! Wine is an important component of tomato based sauces for pasta, braising liquids for meats, and finishing sauces for meat, fish and poultry. Those last sips are not only going to good use, they're going to delicious use.

Ferment it! Feeling scientific? Try making your own red wine vinegar. Time and patience required, but the results are rumored to be well worth it. For an interesting post on the process of making your own red wine vinegar read An Obsession with Food for guidance and be sure to let us know how it turns out.