Wine Racks Blog

While boxed wine may not be height of fashion, there’s a way to make your Franzia a little more luxe! Check out the Baggy Winecoat!

So, you take your box of wine, and put it in this leather (at least, I think it’s leather) purse! Then you’re all set to head to a dinner party, or an outdoor picnic, or wherever! Or, as the designer, Jakob Wagner claims: “Simply take the wine bag out of the box, place it in the Baggy Wine Coat and close the flexible top. A rubber bottom makes sure the Baggy Winecoat do not tip over; neither on the dinner table, nor on the picnic.If you want to carry your wine with you, just grab the handle and go!”

I admit it. For a long time, I thought decanting wine was something that only really fussy people did. For instance, I saw it done on Frasier - not always the best reference for real-world advice. But over time, I was lucky enough to experience decanted wine, and now I’m a convert.

The thing about decanting wine is that both old and young wines benefit from a period of decanting. Decanting gives young wines a chance to blend with oxygen - which helps release the fragrance and flavor of the wine. When you decant a young wine, feel free to “splash” it into your decanter - it helps the wine to breathe.

Older wines benefit from decanting because it allows sediment to settle to the bottom, leaving you with a clean glass of wine. Slowly pour old wine into a decanter - that allows the fine sediment to go straight down.

Plus - decanters are just plain pretty! I like the Orbital Decanter.This crystal decanter comes with a steel base. It also has a tight stopper. Using a decanter can make an ordinary bottle of wine taste a little more extraordinary.

So, give your wine rack a new friend and consider getting a decanter. You won’t regret it!

It happens to the best of us - you’ve got an open  bottle of wine left over. Or perhaps, you got a less than stellar bottle - and you just don’t feel like drinking it. Don’t pour it down the drain! Give it a new, delicious life as Spiced Wine Syrup.

Spiced Wine Syrup is a totally decadent way to utilize leftover wine. Sweet, spicy, and boozy - it’s the perfect accompaniment to vanilla ice cream, or drizzled over brownies with whipped cream. It’s also good for dunking biscotti! Also, poached peaches or pears with this syrup - utterly sublime.

Mulled Wine Syrup

• 1 bottle of red wine
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 vanilla bean (split with insides scraped and mixed in)
• 1 star anise

Place everything into a medium pot or a skillet. Bring it to a boil. Lower to a simmer, and reduce until the liquid is reduced by a third. It will be slightly syrupy - it’ll get even more syrupy as it cools. Strain out the spice solids, and refrigerate your syrup.

Now, I do believe this keeps indefinitely. However - I can’t say that for sure because it never lasts too long in my house!

Do you need a way to store your delicious, gourmet, extra fancy mulled wine syrup? How about a Glass Canister with a Rubber Seal from StacksAndStacks.com? The rubber ring creates a vacuum seal that protects the quality of your food. Plus, it’s pretty enough to bring out to the table!

How do you deal with leftover wine? I’ve heard some success stories about turning it into red wine vinegar. If I try that, I’ll let you know. Who knows what we can create by plumbing the depths of our wine racks?