Don’t feel you have to finish off that bottle of wine… here’s why!

“Don’t leave that little bit in the bottle, go on, finish it off.”

“Let’s just drink it, it's a waste otherwise.”

What does it take to persuade you to have that “little drop” at the end of the wine bottle? Often, with just a little gentle coaxing from your partner or friend, you can end up drinking more than you intended – or actually wanted.

The “little drop” you have, just to avoid putting the bottle back in the fridge or “wasting it”, can be much as a whole glass. And often the difference between staying within the daily unit guidelines or exceeding them. Ironically, drinking the last part of the bottle just because it’s there could be what actually stops you from getting the most out of your wine. You’re far better saving the remainder of the bottle for another day, whether that be to simply drink or to use it in one of the innovative ways we suggest here! 

Read on to also get some top tips on how to keep tabs on what you’re drinking.

How much wine should I drink?

When you’re pouring wine at home – or your host is topping up your glass – it’s hard to know exactly how much you’re putting away.

You might be surprised to hear that the average bottle of wine contains as many as 10 units. If you are sharing a bottle of wine with a partner or friend most nights of the week, you are both drinking at a level that could put you at risk of developing long-term health issues.

The government’s daily unit guidelines say that women should not regularly exceed 2-3 units (equivalent to a 175ml glass of 13% wine) and that men should not regularly drink more than 3-4 alcohol units (equivalent to a large (250ml) glass of 13% wine).

How big is your wine glass?

An easy way to cut down the number of units you drink – and barely notice you’re doing it – is to use a smaller wine glass.

The small, continental style tumblers not only look stylish, but make them your regular receptacle and you can have a “couple of glasses” and stay within the guidelines. Choose one with a volume of around 80ml – around half the standard (175ml) glass you get in a pub.

You’ll need to be aware of how strong your wine is too. For example, a standard (175ml) glass of a red wine that’s 9% ABV is 1.6 units, whereas the same size glass of 14.5% red wine is 2.5 units. It all adds up…

Find out more about units, measures and alcohol strength by using our unit calculator

Getting your wine measures right

If you’re not sure about how many units you’re pouring, why not get yourself a measuring cup from Drinkaware? Our plastic cups will help you measure alcohol units in wine, as well as spirits and beer. Drop us an email if you’d like to order one.

Love wine, hate waste

So, you’ve decided you’ve had enough. What do you do with the wine that’s left in the bottle?

Cork it! Even if the bottle of wine you bought has a screw top, why not spruce it up with one of the thousands of bottle stops you can buy - from the silly to the stylish. Look for one that’s as airtight as possible. The less air in the bottle, the slower the wine will oxidise and go bad. Most wines are good for a couple of days.

Leave it standing. Wine bottle stands can make a fun feature of your bottle while you leave it waiting on the side for another night.

Freeze! Grab an empty ice cube tray. Fill it up with your leftover wine and get it straight in the freezer. Now you have an instant ingredient to flavour your cooking for weeks to come.

Cooking with leftover wine

Red wine leftovers

• Add your leftover red wine ice cubes to meat dishes such as stews, as well as marinades and gravy.
• One- or two-day-old wine is perfect for poaching fruit. Fresh pears poached in red wine make a delicious – and very low fat – dessert. Here's the recipe!
  
• It’s not just for Christmas... if you have some red wine left over, turn it into delicious mulled wine and save it for a party. You can serve it chilled in the summer, or go for a Spanish style sangria.
• Red wine and tomatoes make great companions – add to bolognaise sauce or soup.

White wine leftovers

• Add some flavour to a creamy or white sauce with a couple of leftover white wine ice cubes.
• Cooking with wine can enhance a fish dish – try cod with white wine, garlic and lemon.
• Splash some leftover white wine into risotto or paella when you start cooking – the rice will soak up the wine for a rich, mellow flavour.
• If you’ve left the wine too long, and it’s gone a bit vinegary, that's great! Make a salad dressing. One part wine, two parts olive oil is the right balance. Then add some salt and pepper for a simple dressing plus some French mustard for a bit more of a kick.

Page last updated by

Unknown, 10 May 2012.

Page checked on

10 Feb 2011