Recycling with a difference

You like wine? Nevertheless, it repeatedly happens that you leave a drop or even more in the bottle? And then, once it’s too late, you notice it’s no longer fit to drink? For this eventuality, I’ve collected a few ingenious tips for what you can do with the left-over wine. Don’t throw the residues away, not when you have these options:

Number 1: baking

This is probably nothing new for most of you. Nonetheless, it’s too good to be ignored. After all, what could be a better use for some old wine than making something sweetly delicious? What about a red wine cake?

Sounds promising? Then read through the recipe here and bake yourself a “sweet delight”:
– 250 g of butter
– 4 eggs
– 250 g of sugar
– 1 sachet of baking powder
– 1 tsp of cinnamon
– 1 tsp of cocoa
– 100 ml of dry red wine
– 100 g of dark chocolate flakes
– Dark chocolate glaze

This is how you do it: first cream the butter. Mix it with the sugar and the eggs. Then add the flour and the baking powder and mix them all. Stir in the cocoa and cinnamon. Then carefully add the red wine and beat the mixture till it’s creamy. Finally, mix in the chocolate flakes. Grease a Gugelhupf mould. Then fill it with the dough and bake in a convection oven at 180 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes. Allow the cake to cool, and subsequently coat with dark chocolate glaze. Et voilà!

Number 2: cooking

You’re better at cooking than baking? Then mix your left-over wine into your sauces. And bear in mind: white wine is better suited for creamy sauces, red wine for gravy.

Number 3: Sangria

Summer, sunshine, Spain? Well, who doesn’t have a corresponding image in mind? Mine is: sitting on the beach with a Sangria in my hand and simply lazing around a bit. Sounds rather good, doesn’t it? We can’t conjure up a beach, unfortunately, but the Sangria we can. Because even with wine that’s a bit old, the Spanish must-have drink still tastes brilliant. Try it for yourself with these ingredients:

  • 300 ml of red wine
  • 50 ml of Cointreau
  • 25 ml of gin
  • Juice of three oranges
  • Oranges and limes cut into slices
  • Peaches, each cut into eight sections
  • Ice cubes
  • Cinnamon sticks to taste

Simply mix wine, Cointreau, gin and orange juice, and pour into a carafe. Cut the oranges and limes into slices. Cut each peach into eight sections and add all the fruit to the carafe. Then in go the ice cubes and the cinnamon, and that’s it.

Number 4: mulled wine

You’re not in a summery mood and you crave snow, ice and Christmas markets? Then perhaps this is a good idea for you: mulled wine. Because this hot drink gets its fragrance primarily from its spices. So brew your own hot wine, settle yourself cosily at the window, and gaze appreciatively at the snow. Or: simply invite a few friends over and enjoy your winter drink with them.

This is how to make it:

  • 500 ml of dry red wine
  • 250 ml of water
  • 5 cloves
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 3 star anise
  • 2 oranges
  • Some sugar

Pour wine and water into a pot. Wrap cloves, cinnamon sticks and star anise in a teabag, and add to the pot. Then heat it all up to a high temperature for a short time. Allow to steep for half an hour. Add the juice from one squeezed orange. Cut the second orange into thin slices, and add to the pot. Add some sugar if you want. Your winter drink is ready! 😉

Number 5: vinegar

What I’ve mentioned so far is not quite what you’re looking for? Then here’s something completely different: just make some vinegar out of your old wine. Get hold of some mother-of-vinegar, which will kick-start the formation of acetic acid. Then collect all your old wine, and mix it in this ratio:

  • 700 ml of red wine (not sulphurated)
  • 300 ml of still water
  • 100 ml mother-of-vinegar

Pour all of them together into a glass bottle. Allow the mixture to rest for two or three months at 25°C. Then filter it, and store in a cool dark place to allow the vinegar to mature. After two or three months, your homemade vinegar will be ready!

That all sounds quite easy? We agree. Just give it a try. After all, no one wants to throw away a good drop of wine just because it’s too old to drink, do they? We certainly don’t. And nor, I bet, do you 😉