What do you do with a bottle of wine you open, but don’t like?

I believe in second chances…for wines! 😉

Couple of weeks ago we opened a bottle of wine but did not like it very much. It wasn’t terrible enough to be discarded altogether, so we tried giving it some space to breathe and open up. 

That didn’t help so we did the next best thing that can be done with wines one doesn’t like. Added some spice and made mulled wine!

Here I am talking about a wine which is not flawed but just not to our taste. Wine flaws is another post altogether!

So, here are 3 things you can do if you open a bottle of wine and don’t like it. 

1. Give it time and space.

Aerate it, either through an aerator or by decanting it or swirling it in the glass. The idea is to allow the wine to come in contact with some oxygen and open up. Most wines, like most people, benefit from space and time and take time to open up. Sometimes, the wine after aeration can taste vastly different as compared to when served straight out of the bottle.

2. Pair it with food.

Some wines are food wines. They may not taste as good on their own but they shine with the right food. Food pairings vary according to taste and need some experimentation to identify what works for your palate. More on that soon! But if you are not sure what to pair with the wine, choose a food that is similar in weight to the wine (that means a full body red wine with meats, a refreshing white wine with salad, etc) . If not, read out for point 3 and 4, which is what I usually do.

3. Make Sangria in summers.

Just add a few citrus fruits or berries, a cup of orange or apple juice and two cups of sparkling water or soda in a pitcher full of ice. Top up with a bottle of wine and some additional alcohol of your preference. Will post more sangria recipes, in another post, soon.

4. Make mulled wine in colder months!

And that’s what we did last week…a boring wine was transformed into a delicious flavourful and warm delight by adding a cinnamon stick, star anise, a splash of brandy and some nutmeg. 

What about you? Have you opened a wine and didn’t like it? What did you do with it?