What to Do With Leftover Wine

Leftover Red Wine Syrup

Hands-on time: 5 minutes
Total time: 2 hours (includes cooling time)
Makes: 1 cup
 
1 orange
1 bottle red wine (or 3½ cups assorted red wines)
1 cup sugar
6 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
 

1. Using a vegetable peeler, remove strips of orange zest from the orange. In a large saucepan, combine the wine, sugar, cloves, cinnamon stick, and orange zest.
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the wine mixture is thickened and reduced to 1 cup, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick and orange zest. Let cool for 15 minutes, then refrigerate until chilled (the syrup will thicken as it cools).

Serve with: ice cream, yogurt, ricotta, pound cake, waffles, pancakes, or fruit.
 

Leftover White Wine Syrup

Hands-on time: 5 minutes
Total time: 2 hours (includes cooling time)
Makes: 1 cup
 
1 vanilla bean
1 bottle white wine (or 3½ cups assorted white wines)
1 cup sugar
 

1. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. In a large saucepan, combine the wine, sugar, and vanilla seeds and pod.
2. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the wine mixture is slightly thickened and reduced to 1 cup, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove the vanilla pod. Let cool for 15 minutes, then refrigerate until chilled (the syrup will thicken as it cools).

Serve with: ice cream, yogurt, ricotta, pound cake, waffles, pancakes, mango, pineapple, or other fruit.