5 tips to preserve leftover wine

What do you do? You open a bottle wine to serve with dinner and don’t finish it with the meal. What should you do to save the leftover wine so you can either drink it at another time or use it for sauces and marinades?

While the wine won’t taste the same as it during the initial tasting, there are some techniques you can use to save leftover wine. Here are five of our favorite tips to save leftover wine:

Refrigerate the Wine. It is essential refrigerate leftover wine. This rule applies to red and white wine, as chilling keeps the leftover contents as fresh as possible. Store for approximately 3-4 days.

Remove the Air. Purchase a gadget (wine pump, wine saver, wine vaccum) to help you remove the extra air from the bottle thereby creating a vacuum effect to preserve the wine. Prices range around $6 and up. Simply pump out the air from the bottle, refrigerate and consume within 3-4 days.

Recork. Moisten the cork by dipping into some wine, push it back into the bottle (as far as possible) and refrigerate. This method works for red and white wine.  The wine will lose some of its luster, but will be drinkable for a few days.  Take the red wine out 30 minutes prior to drinking. Stores for approximately 3-4 days.

Repurpose an Empty Wine Split. A clever option to store leftover wine is to put the wine into a smaller wine bottle. You can find empty wine splits at specialty stores or recycle a wine split. Simply transfer the leftover wine into the smaller bottle, cork the bottle and refrigerate. Stores for approximately 3-4 days.

Freeze. Transfer the wine to a plastic container or heavy-duty zip-lock bag and freeze it to use in cooking at a later date.

Do you have a favorite technique or tip to save (or use) leftover wine? Share it with us in the comment section below.

Mama Says, waste not want not! Even with leftover wine.  Don’t forget February 27th is Open That Bottle Night (OTBN) 2010.

OTBN Open That Bottle Night – Feb 27, 2010

Are you a hoarder! Do you have a bottle of wine that you’ve been saving? Mark your calendar for Saturday February 27, 2010.

It is Open That Bottle Night (OTBN) 2010. OTBN is an annual event created by wine writers Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher (wine@wsj.com) to encourage us to open those bottles we thought we’d never open.

Every year since 2000, on Saturday night in late February, OTBN encourages us to open a bottle of wine, champagne or spirits that we’ve been saving for some special event that, so far, has never quite happened. The premise is for everyone to pick one of the bottles that they have been saving for a special occasion – which never comes – and open it before it goes bad…It doesn’t matter if the wine is expensive or low cost, white or red, or even if it is still good. What matters are the memories!

Don’t wait to drink that special wine.

Gather some friends to share some wine and some stories.

We recently opened a Cakebread Cellars 2006 Napa Valley Chardonnay and enjoyed the light golden straw color and aromas of green apples, apricots,  with a smooth buttery, creamy finish that included a subtle hint of vanilla oak. Refreshing and classic California Chardonnay.

We also unearthed a Cameron 1994 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir to relish the smoky, earthy, ripe blackberries and smooth finish. Just like a beautiful fall afternoon in Oregon.

Any night can be the right night to open “that” bottle of wine!

One one recommendation and Two wine hints

Recently a dear friend from the Pacific Northwest was in Atlanta and had only one night available for dinner. As we compared notes regarding what’s new each of us confessed to watching Bravo’s “Top Chef” Season Four. My excuse? I am cheering on the three Atlanta area chefs who are in the competition (Pura Vida’s Hector Santiago, Woodfire Grill’s Kevin Gillespie and Eno’s Eli Kirshtein). That said, I’m rooting for Kevin. Woodfire Grill reminds me of my favorite Portland, Oregon restaurants – the food is local and the cooking-style enhances the fresh, natural ingredients.

It was a given that our one-night reunion would take place at the Woodfire Grill. The service, the attention to detail and the food were outstanding. Kevin wasn’t in that evening but his team was top-notch. We savored every bite of deconstructed Waldorf salad, local African squash soup, pan roasted wild Alaskan halibut, wood grilled Sonoma artisan duck breast along with two desserts.

And we came away with a wine find from the region of Italy that gave birth to the slow food movement:

Nebbiolo – Fantino – Rosso Dei Dardi – Piedmont, Italy – 06 - around $20.00 retail.

A value-driven blend of Barbera and Nebbiolo, that is easy to drink and has a long flavorful finish. We enjoyed the jammy, earthy nose of this wine along the hints of fig, plum and damp earth tones.

Fantino Barolo—Monforte d’Alba/Piedmont

Alessandro “Sandro” Fantino spent ten years as winemaker for the legendary Bartolo

Mascarello before starting his own small winery with his brother Gian Natale about 8 years ago. Their estate is the only one in the center of the old city at Monforte d’Alba, and the cellar, parts of which date from the 1600s, is worth visiting just for its aesthetic qualities. The brothers own 25 acres of vines, all in the “Vigna dei Dardi” cru, and like their mentor, Bartolo Mascarello, practice traditional viticulture and winemaking. In addition to their classic Barolo, they also produce a top-notch Barbera and Rosso di Nebbiolo. The Nebbiolo is produced from very old vineyards situated in the Dardi province hand harvested with very low yield. The wines are very tradition in style using no new oak. Production methods also are very traditional, utilizing gravity and no pumpovers.

Wine Hint 1: When you taste a wine you like write it down and then ask your local wine merchant or grocery store (Fred Meyers or Whole Foods) to see if they can find it for you (and at what price).

Wine Hint 2: For wines produced outside the US, note the name of the importer on the back of the bottle. In the future, look for other wines imported by that company. Or checkout their website for other ideas.

Buon appetito!

Easy Vegetarian Split Pea Soup with Sokol Blosser, Evolution, Lucky Edition

Split pea soup is one of those comfort foods that tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen when you actually get it started and let it simmer for an hour - AND Voila.  Personally, it wasn’t a soup I cared for as a child but one that I’ve grown to associate with the change of seasons and the Fall.  This is a hearty soup that doesn’t come with a hefty price tag or a long list of ingredients. Split pea soup is ideal for supper - jazz it up with a glass of wine.

Easy Vegetarian Split Pea Soup

Yield: Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 Morningstar Farms Veggie Bacon Strips
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped peeled carrots
• 2 teaspoons dried leaf marjoram
• 1 1/2 cups green split peas
• 8 cups water (or combination of broth and water)

Preparation

1. In a heavy large pot cook Veggie Strips until golden brown on both sides over medium heat. Remove from pan, cool for and mince. Reserve.
2. Add butter to the pot and melt over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery and carrots. Sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 5- 9 minutes. Add minced Veggie Strips and marjoram; stir 1 minute. Add peas, then water or broth, and bring to boil.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low. Partially cover pot; simmer soup until vegetables are tender peas are falling apart, stirring often, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Easy Vegetarian Split Pea Soup paired with Evolution Wine from Sokol Blosser.

Easy Vegetarian Split Pea Soup paired with Evolution Wine from Sokol Blosser.

Serving suggestions: Salad, soup and sandwich night! With a glass of wine – oh my.

Food & Wine Pairing: As you know, Oregon wines hold a special place in my heart.  Once of my favorite wines is Evolution from Sokol Blosser (Dundee, Oregon). Each year they blend nine white varietals (Pinot Gris, Müller-Thurgau, White Riesling, Semillon, Muscat Canelli, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, and Sylvaner) to create a smooth, layered wine that can hold its own or stand up to just about any food pairing. This is extraordinarily food-friendly wine is also light on the wallet at around $16. Try Evolution with your Thanksgiving turkey, your favorite soup or spicy curry dish. Save 2 cups to make this scrumptious pear dessert - Poached Pears in Evolution . This year is their thirteenth bottling and to avoid any unlucky associations with the number 13, they’re calling it their “Lucky Edition.”

Are you feeling lucky?

Recipe inspiration: Bon Appétit May 1996 by Patricia Murray: County Kerry, Ireland

2006 R Wines Strong Arms Shiraz

Australian wine importer, Dan Philips, and his company, The Grateful Palate released the Strong Arms Shiraz last year to rave reviews.

Wine Advocate 91 “The 2006 Shiraz is composed of 46% McLaren Vale, 44% Riverland, and 10% Barossa Valley fruit. It was aged in seasoned French and American oak for 12 months. Opaque purple-colored, it has a nose of cedar, spice box, and blueberry. Fruit-driven, supple-textured, rich, and easygoing, the wine has remarkable class for its giveaway price. It actually has 2-3 years of aging potential but no one that I know is going to defer their gratification.”  Jay Miller

We ordered 6 bottles from our local wine shop (for under $12.00/bottle) and have enjoyed this berry laden, easy-drinking wine with pasta, meatloaf and burgers.  The 2007 Strong Arm Shiraz is now available.