Got Leftover Rosé Wine? 20 Ideas to Try

If you’re a rosé all-day kind of person, you’re well acquainted with the clean, crisp, and vibrant drink that’s common during summer get-togethers. It isn’t easy to fathom a world where perfectly good wine could be thrown out, but it happens to the best of us. What should you do if you have any leftover rosé?

Whether you opened one bottle too many during a dinner with friends or discovered an opened bottle sitting at the back of the fridge, there are a number of good uses for that leftover wine. Here are 20 ways to use leftover rosé instead of pouring down the drain.

Can You Drink Leftover Rosé?

There’s no rule saying you can’t drink leftover wine. However, if you are expecting the same crisp taste that you would get from a freshly opened bottle, you might be disappointed.

The primary reason wine goes bad is exposure to air. Once the bottle is opened, bacteria begin to break down the alcohol. When you remove the cork from a bottle, strong chemical changes begin to occur in the wine.

Sulfur dioxide, which is added to virtually all wines as a preservative, dissolves into the air, and oxygen rushes in. Gradually, the alcohol transforms into acetic acid and acetaldehyde, basically turning the wine into vinegar.

How Long Does Rosé Wine Last?

Oxidation can begin to degrade a wine in as little as two days and, eventually, transform it into vinegar. As a general rule, the lighter the wine, the quicker it spoils.

Rosé wines are appealing not just because of their gentle hues but also because of their crisp and refreshing flavor. Rose wine may be kept in the fridge for up to a week if properly sealed.

However, there will be noticeable changes in the wine’s taste and freshness as it oxidizes. The overall fruit quality of the wine will typically fade, becoming less vivid and resembling cider.

20 Amazing Things to do With Leftover Rose Wine

We’ve all done it: opened a gorgeous bottle of wine, drank one or two glasses, then replaced the cork and placed it at the back of the fridge. Before long, the wine has lost its exquisite complexity, depth, and crisp flavor. And then what?

Not to worry, it’s simpler than you may realize to put that leftover wine to use. Here are 20 inventive ways to repurpose and enjoy leftover rosé, so you never have to throw it away again.

Rosé Ice Cubes

Planning on drinking a glass of rosé out by the pool in the near future?

A chilled glass of wine can be a cool treat in the summer. Instead of using regular ice cubes, freeze up some leftover rosé wine in an ice tray. When the hot sun begins to melt the ice, you won’t have the worry about watered-down wine. Instead, you will have frosty pink cubes that keep your glass cool and crisp ’til the last sip.

Rosé Winesicles

Another way to beat the heat is to make your very own popsicles—or winesicles—with your leftover rosé. This is a perfect adult treat that is simple to make with very few ingredients.

Just mix your leftover rosé with equal parts juice and pour into a popsicle mold. After a few hours in the freezer, you’ll have a boozy treat that’s perfect for summer nights or get-togethers. You could also add in fresh sliced fruit like strawberries or kiwis for some extra flavor.

Rosé Vinaigrette

Leftover rosé wine makes a bright, fresh-tasting salad dressing, complemented by lemon, olive oil, salt, and pepper. If the wine is dry, add in a bit of honey to sweeten it up.

Combine one part rosé with two parts olive oil, and season to taste with lemon, salt, pepper, and honey. Just blend the ingredients together in a bowl and pour over your salad before serving.

Rosé Granita

Rosé granita is a terrific way to combat the summer heat. While it does need a few hours of preparation, the method is not difficult.

Mix leftover rosé and tart fruit juice. Diluting the wine with juice allows it to freeze more effectively and adds sweetness and fruit flavor to your dessert.

Place the wine and fruit juice in a shallow dish in the freezer. After about an hour, take it out, scrape it with a fork, and you have a simple and tastefully boozy dessert that melts on your tongue.

Make Vinegar

Making vinegar might sound complex, but all it takes is a little leftover wine and some patience.

Combine leftover rosé and vinegar with an active culture or “mother.” This is the bacterial-rich, acidic mixture that kickstarts fermentation. It takes 2-3 months to make a homemade wine vinegar, but it is well worth the wait.

When it’s finished, you’ll have a tart wine vinegar with a deep taste that’s better than anything you can find at the store.

Poached Pears in Rosé

You’ve undoubtedly heard of red wine poached pears before; now try it with rosé. It’s a simple dish, yet it’s deliciously rich, elegant, and spectacular. They have a nice blend of sweet, spicy, and fruity flavors, and the pink tinge makes for lovely plating.

Most recipes ask for about 3 cups of wine, so you may need to reserve a good portion of a bottle for it, but it will be well worth it. Just soak the pears in a boiling combination of rosé, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon for about half an hour and enjoy.

You could also try the same method with plums or peaches to mix things up.

Rosé Wine Jelly

Leftover wine makes an excellent jelly. This is for people who opened a bottle but didn’t drink much. Simply mix the wine, pectin, and fruit, and you’re done.

Rosé jelly calls for nearly a whole bottle of wine, and it’s best to use wine that’s just a day or two old rather than one that’s completely sour. The jar must be boiled and sealed to be kept, so you’ll also need canning supplies, such as jars, a canning rack, a jar lifter, and a deep pot.

Feeling adventurous?

Try making rosé wine hot pepper jelly. This goes wonderfully spread on a cracker with cream cheese.

Rosé Sangria

Sangria is a favorite at gatherings, so what better use for leftover rosé than to make a vibrant summer sangria?

This is a drink that is ideal for midday summer celebrations since it is low in alcohol and packs a punch with fresh fruit flavor. Enjoy this alongside summer favorites like burgers, stuffed peppers, and pasta salad.

Rosé Lemonade

Rosé lemonade is the only drink you’ll need in the summer, and it’s a great way to use up leftover wine. The fresh, fruity notes in rosé pair well with the bright and tangy lemon, creating the perfect summer drink. Just combine a cup of rosé with fresh lemon juice, water, and simple syrup. Mix, add a garnish, and start sipping.

Strawberry Rosé Smoothie

Toss the leftover rosé from last night’s dinner into a blender with some frozen strawberries for a fun boozy smoothie that’s perfect for Sunday brunch.

Want more? By doubling, tripling, or quadrupling the recipe, you can easily produce a whole pitcher. Don’t be afraid to mix it up and make it your own. Throw in other berries, citrus, or melons for endless variations.

Clean Produce

Wine has antibacterial qualities that can be used to rinse produce to kill surface germs. Fill a spray bottle with leftover rosé and use it to disinfect your fruits and vegetables. The wine’s alcohol content will remove contaminants more effectively than water and may even improve the flavor.

Grapefruit Rosé Cocktail

A Grapefruit Rosé Cocktail combines zesty goodness with fruity wine in the most magical way. The mix of fresh grapefruit juice and your favorite rosé in a glass with ice cubes is light and delicious, and ideal for drinking at your next cocktail hour!

Rosé Simple Syrup

Simple syrup is a sugar and water mixture used by bartenders to modify the sweetness of drinks. Wine-based simple syrups can elevate a boring cocktail. Best of all, they’re simple to prepare at home by blending equal portions of the two components.

Replace the water with leftover rosé to make a sweet, fruity syrup with a beautiful pink hue. High-acid rosés provide the greatest simple syrup, which is sweet and somewhat sour.

When you’ve finished making your simple syrup, try it in your favorite cocktails. With only one taste, you’ll be hooked on leftover wine for life.

Raspberry Rosé Cupcakes

Wine in dessert?

Yes, please!

Try making this baked delicacy for a fun spin on raspberry cupcakes. These lovely pink raspberry rosé cupcakes have both the aesthetics and the flavor to match. Half a cup of fruity rose wine is ideal for maintaining the tart, pink motif while offering a rich sweetness without adding more sugar.

Try Drunken Pasta

Do you need to use up that rosé?

Try some drunken pasta. The noodles are cooked in water and then soaked in a bath of rosé and herbs until it’s time to serve. The majority of the alcohol evaporates during the boiling process.

The wine’s robust taste, on the other hand, remains. So, while you shouldn’t spend a fortune on a bottle, don’t skimp on the quality.

Mulled Rosé

When the season calls for mulled wine, why not give rose a go?

Freeze your leftover rose throughout the year. When the weather turns, empty the frozen wine into a large pot, and add spices such as cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and black peppercorn. Melt wine over medium heat, then sweeten to taste with honey and sliced grapefruit.

Now you’ve got a bright, festive party drink that’s a good alternative to traditional mulled wine.

Rosé Gummy Bears

There’s something magical about biting into a gummy bear that tastes just like your favorite bottle of wine. These cute boozy bears have everything you love about rosé, packed into that nostalgic gummy candy we munched on as kids.

You can make these beautiful, gently fruity, somewhat tangy rosé-flavored gummy bears with only a few steps and some chill time. Just heat together 2 cups of rosé, sugar, and gelatin, toss the mixture in a mold, and refrigerate. It’s that easy!

Make a Marinade for Beef, Chicken, or Fish

If you have a bit of leftover rosé sitting in the fridge, you could whip up a rosé coq au vin or use it as a marinade in your favorite steak dish. Rosé provides a mildly sweet taste to the meat, resulting in a wonderfully rich, delicious, and exquisite sauce.

Add It to Soup

Wine will enhance the flavor of almost any soup or stew. Simply add some throughout the cooking process, reducing it down to bring out the flavor. Rosé is typically paired with tomato or beef-based soups. It’s also delicious in chili and creamy mushroom stews.

Enhance Your Favorite BBQ Sauce

Adding leftover wine to barbecue sauce is one of the simplest ways to repurpose it. The light, strawberry-colored wine pairs well with a sweet, sticky barbeque sauce.

Bring a cup of wine to a simmer in a skillet over medium to high heat. Stir in around two cups of your favorite bottled barbecue sauce once the wine has reduced by half and the alcohol has cooked away.

Want to make your own? Simply pour a cup of leftover rosé into your homemade BBQ sauce recipe for added acidity.

Final Thoughts

Wine doesn’t always get better with age, but that doesn’t mean it loses its usefulness. Just because an open bottle of rosé has been sitting at the back of your fridge for a week doesn’t mean you should toss it out.

Try out one of the above suggestions and come up with your own. Though it’s not as popular as red and white wine, rosé works just as well in cooking and can be used in various dishes. Also, consider some of the various ways wine may be used around the house that don’t involve consuming it.

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Got Leftover Rosé Wine? 20 Ideas to Try