Uses for leftover wine…
It’s been bought to my attention that some people have been cursed with an affliction known as ‘leftover wine’ – and they don’t know what to do with it. This is something which to be honest, I’m not an authority on as it never happens in my house. But as wine is my business, I feel it necessary to address this problem and assist where I can. So I conducted some in-depth research and found some ways in which un-consumed or spoiled wine can be used. It’s all from the internet so it must be true:
Skin softener
Use white wine as a facial toner or pour into your bath water to help smooth and refine skin thanks to its acidity.
Clean fruits and vegetables
Got dirty fruit? Don’t fret. Wine is a natural fruit and vegetable cleaner. The alcohol in the wine dissolves impurities on the surface and other components in wine kill several types of foodborne pathogens like salmonella and E. coli.
Glass cleaner
Spoiled white wine is almost vinegar, so naturally it works wonders on dirty glass. Add a few tablespoons to a spray bottle of water, apply to windows and mirrors and wipe with newspaper.
Fruit fly trap
Few things are more tempting to pesky fruit flies than an aromatic glass of red wine. Just pour a slug of red wine into a glass and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Then poke a few small holes in the wrap, which will let the flies in, but won’t allow them to exit.
Removes grease stains from concrete
Pour leftover white wine onto grease and oil stains on garage floors and driveways and pft! Goneburger.
Meat marinade
Red wine may reduce cancer-causing compounds naturally found in meats. Frying and grilling meat at high temperatures turns sugars and amino acids of muscle tissue into carcinogenic compounds, but marinating meat in red wine for at least six hours before cooking can reduce those carcinogens by up to 90 percent!
Improve your health… if you’re an astronaut
Okay, so maybe it’s not all that practical for most of us, but studies at the University of Strasbourg in France found that reservatrol in red wine could help temper the adverse health effects of zero gravity. When they’re floating around on lengthy missions, astronauts lose muscle and bone density, but reservatrol can fix that. Besides what’s cooler than sipping a glass of pinot noir while gazing down at the Earth from space?
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Neudorf Nelson Pinot Rose 2016 $25 (4 stars)
Isn’t it just the prettiest trout pink colour in the glass? The pinot noir for this dry and seriously spry rosé is grown on Moutere Clay soils (which produce wines with real spark and spice). Once a little squeak of colour from the skins is bled through the juice, 10% is fermented with indigenous yeasts to give some funk and fabulousness. Soft, wild raspberry, guava, melon and spice flavours abound here. Sip with slivers of melon and prosciutto.
www.neudorf.co.nz
Ruby Bay Jewel Methode Traditionelle NV $38 (5 stars)
Where has this fizz been all my life? With ultra-fine beading and plucky, persistent mousse in the glass, it just looks like money. Thankfully it more than measures up in the mouth. Subtle and beautifully structured, it oozes almond and brioche aromas, raspberry shortbread and shows a creamy, full-bodied yeasty, biscuity backbone. Vibrant, rich and incredibly satisfying.
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Here are three different ways to enjoy chardonnay. The superstar, the sparkler and the subtle…
Pask Declaration Gimblett Gravels Declaration Chardonnay 2014 $50 (5 stars)
Chardonnay lovers have I got a bottle of ‘batta bing, batta bing’ for you! Crafted by the seriously talented team at Pask, (where it’s compulsory to adore chardonnay) here’s a grapefruit and peach-packed wine stitched together with butterscotch, custard crème, tweaks of cinnamon and a long, juicy finish. As soon as you sip, your palate will become awash with tropical characters and hints of popcorn on the finish. Turkey thighs stuffed with porcini mushrooms and pancetta? Magic!
Champagne Cristian Senez Cuvee Renoir Brut $45 (4 stars)
Where has this champagne been all my life? With its pale gold hue, ultra-fine bead, pillowy, creamy mousse and enticing aromas of milk chocolate, lemon, fresh rising dough and delicately toasted almonds, it’s swoon-inducing from the first sip. It may rock an old-school label, but it’s a fresh, 50:50 pinot noir/chardonnay blend with vibrant acidity, apple layers and a lengthy rich finish. I’d have no hesitation serving this with tiny toasts topped with chunks crayfish dobbed with lemon mayo.
Billaud-Simon Chablis 2014 $41 (4 stars)
That delicious, chalky, limestone & crushed oyster shell character merges with lemon pith, white pepper, green apple and a faint touch of almond to produce a really pretty chardonnay that’s light yet beautifully structured in the mouth. Waves of white florals and spice lull you into thinking it’s going to be a gentle ride until you’re hit with a punchy, bony-dry finish that lasts and lasts. Chablis like this lends itself beautifully to oysters au naturel.
