You Won’t Believe These 15 Weird and Unusual Uses for Wine

1. Make ice cubes

Those that enjoy their wine nice and cold, will understand the frustration of watered-down wine when ice blocks start to melt. To prevent this, freeze leftover wine in an ice cube tray. Use your frozen wine blocks instead of traditional ones, and you will have ice-cold, undiluted wine! You can save red wine in the same way to use in stocks and stews.

2. Skincare

If Cleopatra bathed in milk, we can bathe in red wine! Okay, so maybe we won’t bathe in it, but you can apply it to your skin. If you’re in a pinch, it makes a good toner. Apply the red wine to your face with a cotton ball. It has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties and will clear your pores!

3. Washing fruit and veg

Red wine makes a great all-natural cleaner for fruits and vegetables. Some studies are suggesting that the alcohol and acidity of wine could be enough to kill off bacteria such as E.coli and Salmonella. These bacteria are responsible for several foodborne illness outbreaks related to fresh produce. So keep a bit of red wine nearby!

4. Catch flies

You know the old saying that you catch more flies with honey than vinegar? Well, it seems you can catch even more flies with red wine! If you have a problem with fruit flies, leave a bottle out with a little bit of leftover wine. The flies will be attracted to the wine and get trapped inside! Simply dispose of them the next day!

5. Make vinegar

Considering that vinegar is practically wine left to ferment, this is a great way to use old wine! All you need is raw live vinegar (also known as the mother) and a bottle of red wine that you don’t intend on drinking. There are many recipes online, and the fermentation period would take about 2 months.

6. Clean windows

If you have tough, pesky smears on your windows that you can’t seem to get rid of, try cleaning it with a bit of white wine. The acidity of the wine will help to break down the greasy stains and make your windows sparkling clean and shiny! Vinegar has been used for many generations to do the same job!

7. Marinate meats

Marinating your meat does not only make your meat cuts tender and tasty, it also reduces your risk of cancer. According to research, a red wine marinade will reduce heterocyclic amines in meat by up to 88%. These amines are compounds that form when we grill or fry meat, and is said to promote the formation of cancer in humans.

8. Gardening

If you have leftover wine, save it for your compost. The yeast in wine gives the organic materials a boost and further helps with decomposition. While the yeast breaks down tough materials like lignin (in wood), the nitrogen breaks down carbon-based materials in your compost. You can use beer in the same way!

9. Make a spritzer

If you have some leftover wine, make your own white wine spritzer for you and your friends – perfect for the summertime! To make your own, use three parts wine to one part club soda (or use carbonated or sparkling water) and stir. Refrigerate and enjoy ice cold! You can finish it off with a lemon rind as garnish.

10. Make a granita

A granita is a semi-frozen dessert, originating from Sicily. It’s similar to sorbet, but has a coarse texture. To make granita with leftover wine, mix it with a simple syrup (you can also use flavored syrup) and pour into a large baking dish. Freeze and scrape the mixture every half an hour until you have a crumbly texture.

11. Dye something

We all know what happens when red wine spills on your beloved tablecloth – it’s basically ruined. Instead of going through all the effort and hassle of stain removal, why not add more wine and make your own DIY wine-stained tablecloth. It will have a nice reddish tint and no one else will have the same color!

12. Make a syrup

In the same way you would make a balsamic syrup, you can use red wine to make a wine glaze. Mix three parts wine with one part sugar and reduce it until the consistency of the mixture become syrupy. You can play around with other flavors by adding garlic, shallots, or herbs such as rosemary and thyme.

13. Wine jelly

Impress your guests by making a wine jelly for your next cheese board. You can also eat your wine jelly over pork or lamb chops, on a slice of toasted bread, baked with a fruit pie – the possibilities are endless! To make your own, you will need wine, lemon juice, pectin, and lots of sugar! The internet is full of recipes. You even get low-sugar variations.

14. Make a ganache

A ganache a simple mixture of chocolate and cream, used to fill pastries, frost brownies, or layer between cakes. Many flavors can be added, so a ganache is extremely versatile! If your ganache needs a kick, try adding wine. A red wine like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Pinot Noir will all go well with the richness of chocolate.

15. Adult popsicles

If common popsicles are just for kids,  these ones are the perfect "adult version"! All you need to prepare them are: 500 grams of blackberries (or strawberries), 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and a cup of sweet red wine. How to prepare them? Mix together the quartered blackberries or strawberries, balsamic vinegar, and sugar. Spread the mixture and bake it until the berry juices have thickened. Cool it and mix of the roasted strawberries and juices in a food processor. Then, stir in the red wine and put the remaining half of the roasted berries into the popsicle molds. At the end, pour red wine mixture into molds and freeze them!