old wine

Keeping Spirits, New Life for Old Wine 01/09/04:

There are several uses for wines and spirits that are past their best-by date.

Stephen Johnson, general manager and sommelier at Top of the Rock restaurant at the Wyndham Buttes Resort in Tempe, suggests plenty of options for using leftover wine. The wine expert recommends making the popular European drink Gluwein, or mulled wine as it's called in the United States. Bring red wine to a simmer and add sugar, cloves, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Serve it warm in a coffee mug with a cinnamon stick.

Another popular creation is Sangria, which can be made with red or white wine. Just mix orange slices, club soda, orange juice and 7-Up and serve over ice. Adding lemons, limes or other fruit is optional.

Beurre Blanc is a tasty white butter sauce made with white wine, butter and capers.

Johnson also suggests adding wine or champagne to sauces. "Adding a half cup of red wine to spaghetti is awesome," Johnson said. The wine gives the spaghetti sauce a nice richness and brings out the tomato flavor, he said. "You don't normally use expensive wines in cooking, but if it's past its prime," Johnson said.

Tom Fordyce, who owns My Wine Cellar in Ahwatukee Foothills, said his store sold many bottles of wine as people prepared for this season's holiday parties. He advises against drinking wine that's opened more than a week. Once the wine sits for that long it oxidizes and turns to vinegar, which can be good for making salad dressing, he said. But Fordyce suggests using a wine preserver if you'd like to be able to drink already-opened wine. Products such as Private Preserves or Wine Savers help keep wine from oxidizing and last longer. Both items cost about $10.

So for all you peeps out there like me who have a half empty bottle of wine. Cheers.