A wine can become undrinkable if it has been stored too long or badly, or if the quality of the wine is poor, or by chance. Whether it’s corked, maderized or too old, we’d love to catch up.

First and foremost, there is no miracle solution for restoring the taste of wine!

But there are a few tricks to avoid wasting a bad bottle…

You can start by decanting a corked wine and then tasting it, but there’s a risk of aggravating the wine’s altered taste.

One possible solution: use it in the kitchen!

There is also the option of turning it into cooking vinegar.

Wine vinegar is obtained by oxidizing the alcohol contained in wine. There are various recipes for this. In the simplest case, simply shake the wine to aerate it and provoke oxidation, then place in a vinegar container and store away from light. You need to open it from time to time to let it come into contact with the air. And the longer you keep it, the smoother it becomes.

Maderized wine can also be used in sauces or marinades to enhance meat dishes.

Be careful, however, as a wine that is too corky could alter the flavours of your dish. Not to be used for simmering meat, for example, contrary to popular belief.

Aperitif tip: turn it into a wine cocktail!

Madeira wine, for example, can be used to make sangria. To do this, take a few oranges and lemons, the fruits and spices of your choice and macerate them in white or red wine, then add a glass of sparkling water or lemonade.

The Internet is full of fanciful cocktail recipes, in which a wine that has lost its specific characteristics can be drunk in the company of fruit, citrus, spices or other ingredients.

In winter, why not turn it into mulled wine?

To avoid throwing the container of a bottle of red wine down the sink, it can also be consumed as mulled wine. Simply bring the wine to the boil and add fruit, citrus, spices and honey. Heating a wine that has gone bad will break its taste, and the fruit will then add flavor.

Here are a few tips to help you avoid having to empty your bottles of bad wine down the sink!

Photo: Anna Bratiychuk / Unsplash