What to do with Really Bad Wine
If you're making wine as a hobby and experimenting with weird and wild combinations, you'll inevitably end up with a few bad results. But then what?
Here you are with a batch of something that just isn't good. Maybe it's a micro-batch, like a gallon or two. Or maybe it's a lot more. The good news is, while you probably won't be sharing this wine with family and friends, you still have options.
But first...
If you have a batch of wine that is beyond drinkable due to a rotten, sulfuric or strong vinegar taste, it's probably not worth keeping and may not be safe to drink. Toss it.
If that's not the case, read on.
Wait a Little Longer
I have a dry Red Zinfandel that's been aging in the bottle for 3 years. It was made with a Wine Recipe Kit that included oak chips and made roughly 5 gallons of wine. The wine is clear and smells OK, but the taste is still very young and sharp. The oak chips created a fake, disgusting flavor that I can't get beyond. I open a bottle every few months, hoping for something better, but continuing to be dissapointed.
However, other than taking up space in my wine rack, those bottles aren't hurting anything, and I think I'll let it ride for now.
Use it as a Topper
When racking wine from one carboy to another, you always lose a little volume with the sediment. This leaves space at the top of the carboy, and you can use your not-so-great-wine to top it off. Assuming the wine is stable, and you're only using a small amount, this is a great alternative to topping off with water.
The same can be done when bottling. It's not uncommon to end up with a partially-full bottle at the end of your bottling process. You can either throw away the excess or top it with another stable wine. Who knows... the blend of the two might turn out better than you expected.
Fortify it
Try adding some liquor to make a stronger, fortified wine with extra flavor. Sweet liqueurs, Schnapps and flavored vodkas work well for this purpose. You may have to experiment with some differerent options before you find something that works, but here are some suggestions:
Add Cointreau (a sweet, orange liqueur) and Cinnamon Whiskey to a bland, dry red for a warming, autumn drink.
Add Peach or Blueberry Schapps to a less-than-impressive fruit wine for a little extra kick and flavor.
Add Brandy to a boring, dry white for a Medeira-style wine.
Make a Slushy
Even not-so-great wine can be improved upon with a little sugar and crushed ice. Grab a wine slushy mix and a blender, and see what happens!
