Leftover Wine? Make Wine Syrup!

Got a bottle of leftover wine – or perhaps a few, after a party? You could make jelly, or you could turn it into an exquisite sauce for fruit, ice cream, salad dressings, and more.

To make wine syrup, you can use a single bottle or mix up the remainders of an assortment of wines. We have only tried it with red wine but white would work, too. In a wide saucepan or skillet, combine the wine with sugar (a good ratio is 3 cups wine to 1 cup sugar), bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until syrupy and reduced to about a third of the volume. Let cool, bottle, and refrigerate.

You can also simmer the wine with flavorings, such as fresh ginger, cinnamon sticks, cloves, star anise, black peppercorns, or vanilla bean. Just strain them out after cooling the syrup.

The rich syrup is sweet and a bit tangy, similar to saba or Balsamic vinegar, so there are countless uses for it. A few ideas:

• Drizzle over fresh berries or grilled stone fruits
• Swirl into ice cream or Greek yogurt
• Pour on pancakes or waffles
• Toss with roasted vegetables or chickpeas
• Add to marinades for meat or tofu
• Whisk into salad dressing

Have you ever made wine syrup? How did you use it?

Related: Tips for Leftover Wine

(Images: Emily Ho)