Here's Why You Should Start Freezing Your Leftover Wine

Anyone who has opened a bottle of wine only to end up with the bottom third of the bottle left over knows it's hard to know what to do with it. Unless you're planning to finish off the bottle within the next day or two, the wine will oxidize and won't taste the same as when you first opened it (via Decanter). Though this handy new trick isn't a great solution for high quality bottles that you really want to savor and enjoy, it is an amazing hack for extending the life of your run-of-the-mill bottles for casual sipping. 

According to Food and Wine, food writer Nigella Lawson likes to pour any leftover wine into ice cube trays, which she simply pops in the freezer. While you can use other containers if need be, just make sure there's room for the wine to expand as it freezes. Once you've properly stored your wine in the freezer, it's the perfect quick solution to recipes that need a bit of wine. However, cooking with the frozen wine is just one of myriad ways to put it to good use.

Frozen wine can be used in quite a few delicious ways aside from savory sauces and other wine-infused dishes. Frozen wine is also a great base for things like sangria or frosé if you enjoy sipping on those cold and fruity drinks during the warmer months, according to Food and Wine. While the wine typically isn't suitable to drink on its own, it can find a new life in wine-based cocktails.

Another great wine-based frozen treat is an Italian take on sorbet, according to Shape. You can make granita, which is essentially frozen flavored sugar water, but can be flavored wine in this version. Shape suggests adding one part fruit juice to two parts wine and any other aromatics like chopped herbs or citrus zest to amp up the flavor. The fruit juice will give the dessert some sweetness and serves as a refreshing way to cool off on hot days.

So the next time you have leftover wine, freeze it and see just how many ways you can use it.