Are you wondering what to do with old wine?
Well, you came to the right place! Today, we will show you 12 fun ways to put your old wine to good use. Whether you want something fun, easy, or practical, there is something on this list for you. Now, without further ado, let’s get on with the list!
Use the Old Wine in Your Kitchen
First, let’s talk about where an old wine can be of use in your kitchen.
1. Marinade
As you might already know, wine and meat often get paired in a meal. Something that should not be surprising. With the right combo, the two can make for a delectable duo, after all. However, that is not the only way to put and enjoy the two together.
If you have an old wine that looks like it will no longer make it as a drink to your next fancy meal, you might want to turn it into a marinade for your next dish instead!
If you have old red wine, you might want to check out this red wine marinade recipe on recipes.net. On the other hand, if you have old white wine, you might want to look at this white wine marinade recipe on Just a Pinch Recipes.
2. Vinegar
On the other hand, if you are not in a hurry, you might want to turn your old wine into vinegar instead.
Turning old wine into vinegar might sound intimidating. However, you do not need to be alarmed. It is easy, as you will see in this video:
3. Sauce
If the first two options are not to your liking, you might want to turn your old wine into a kind of sauce, and there are so many ways to do that. Check out some of these recipes:
- Creamy Chicken in White Wine Sauce
- Fish with White Wine Sauce
- Pan-Seared Steak with Red Wine Sauce
- Quick Red Wine Pasta Sauce
4. Dessert
You have seen the ways you can use wine in the main course. What better way to end this list than with dessert? There is more than one way to turn wine into dessert, though. Here are some ideas:
- Jelly or Jam:Turning old wine into a jam or jelly will allow you to enjoy it with different snacks. However, that might not be the best part of turning old wine into jam or jelly. The best part is that this DIY will allow you to “have wine” for breakfast now!
- Cake: If we’re talking about dessert, a cake is undoubtedly one of the first things to come to mind. You might be surprised. However, yes, you can also make a cake with some old wine!
- Candy: There are many ways to turn old wine into candy. You can make lollipops, gum drops, and, of course, the crowd favorites, gummies!
- Ice Cream: While you might have heard of pouring some wine on ice cream, you might have never heard of wine ice cream. Well, now might be the time to make some and try it!
Use the Old Wine to Clean
Stress and worries are not the only things that wine can help ease and erase. A bottle of old wine can also help you remove some unwanted stuff in your house.
5. Disinfectant
You can turn your old wine into a disinfectant. Science and history have both proved that wine has some antibacterial properties. Enough for it to be of use for cleaning many things. That is, from fruits to wounds. (However, if you have better options, it would be best to use old wine as a last resort for cleaning the latter.)
6. Grease Remover
It might not look like it, but old wine can be a good grease remover. It can do wonders on almost every texture. However, of course, you want to remember that white wine would be the best for this job. While an old red wine variety might also aid in getting rid of grease, it might introduce a different kind of stain.
7. Wine Stain Remover
A little wine spill here and there could be unavoidable when you’re having too much fun. However, that could be a problem.
After all, we believe you don’t want to ruin a fancy suit or your favorite sweater. You don’t have to worry, though. When accidents like this one happen, you can fight fire with fire! Use your old white wine to remove the ugly stain that cabernet sauvignon left!
Use the Old Wine on Yourself
If none of the above has tickled your fancy, our next set might help you. Also, it might surprise you!
8. Skincare
Many know that wine could be good for keeping a healthy heart. However, it does not end there. It could also be good in retaining a healthy skin! There are several ways to include wine in skin care.
First, you can try to make some wine lotion. One of the best things about wine is how it can tickle your nose. It offers many aromas that help make the experience better than it already is. Now, it doesn’t have to stop there. If you have an old wine that you love the scent of, you can try to turn it into a lotion. With that, you can bring the notes you love wherever you go!
On the other hand, you can also try and make a wine scrub. This one is easier. As you might already know, you can turn almost any liquid into a scrub with some sugar. The same is true for the wine scrub.
Finally, you might also want to try your hands at making a wine face mask! You can check out this recipe or, if you want, add the wine to your usual DIY face mask mix instead.
These are only examples. There are many other ways to add old wine to your skincare. Feel free to experiment!
9. Medicine
Get a rag or bandage, soak it with the old wine, and put it over a bruise.
Drinking a glass of wine from time to time can be good for keeping a healthy heart. However, it does not stop there. You can also try using it for a bruise to quicken the healing process. The same things that make the wine an ideal addition to a skincare routine can also help in this area.
Other Helpful Ways to Use Old Wine
If you still have some old wine left, you might want to try one of the fun options on this set.
10. Dye
Often, we want wine in our system, but rarely on any fabric. However, that is the goal here.
If you have an old shirt, you might want to give it a new life by dyeing it a lovely shade of red or purple. If you’re feeling adventurous, you might even want to try to tie-dye.
On the other hand, to dyeing with old wine could also be a way to save a favorite top you’ve accidentally spilled some wine on. If white wine doesn’t get it all off, it might be the best time to unleash your creativity! You know what they say: if you can’t beat them, then join them. If you can’t get rid of the wine stain, then cover it up with more wine!
11. Fruit Fly Trap
If you’re not into dyeing and tie-dye, you might want to turn your old wine into fruit fly bait instead.
For this DIY, you want to put a small amount of the old wine in a glass, cover it with cling wrap tightly, and then poke some holes on the top. The wine will lure the fruit flies into the glass, but the cling wrap will stop them from getting out again.
12. Fertilizer
Finally, you can use your old wine as fertilizer. If you’re into gardening and can’t be bothered with any extra steps, but still want to put your old wine to good use, this one is the DIY for you. All you have to do here is to dump the old wine into your compost. It might not seem it’ll do much, but your blooms and crops will likely thank you for the drink!
What to Do with Old Wine Bottles?
We’ve just shown you the 12 fun ways to put your old wine to good use. With that, you now probably have a bottle or two lying around. Well, here are a few things you can do with your old wine bottles:
- Flower Vase: First on the list and probably the easiest, you can turn it into a flower vase. You can decorate it or leave it as it is. Either way, it can make for a great accent.
- Bird Feeder: Turning a wine bottle into a bird feeder is a popular option if you want something more practical.
- Bottle Torch
- Lamp
- Hanging Decors: With a few strings or some wood, there are many ways to turn your wine bottles into lovely and classy hanging decors.
Summary
What to do with old wine? Today, we answered this question and showed you 12 fun ways to put your old wine to good use. We hope we got to help you today. If you have other questions or concerns, feel free to give our other talks a visit. That is all from us for now. Cheers!
George Moore, co-founder of Wine Flavor Guru, is a charismatic entrepreneur with a rich background in California’s wine industry. Alongside Sylvia, he transformed a Sonoma County vineyard into a source of premium wines. George’s expertise in sourcing exceptional grapes and his approachable style make wine appreciation both accessible and engaging.