Perhaps you're thinking, "Leftover wine? What is that?" If so, you may want to skip this. But you can freeze extra wine—not for drinking, for cooking. Maybe you bought a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc to make Zucchini and Tuna Pappardelle, only used a half cup of it but don't love to drink dry whites, or can't drink it for medical reasons. Freeze what's left over and use it to make Barramundi with Sweet Corn Risotto and Onion-Basil Salsa or Tarragon Chicken. Here's how to do it...


Go for wines with a lower alcohol content. The best wines for freezing are ones that are not too high in alcohol because the higher the alcohol content, the colder it needs to be to freeze (and honestly, the best way to enjoy a strong wine with a high alcohol content is by drinking it alongside a delicious meal).

Freeze the wine in ice cube trays. They’re typically broken into 1-ounce compartments (which is about two-thirds of a shot glass), so if you need a cup of wine for a recipe, you'll use eight frozen cubes of wine. Once the wine is frozen, pop the cubes out and store them in a resealable bag.

Defrost the wine at room temperature. It shouldn't take more than a half hour for it to thaw.

And if you're curious about how much alcohol you're actually consuming when you eat food made with wine, see this article.