This leaves a bad taste in my mouth...
November 5, 2011 11:17 AM Subscribe
Bought a bottle of wine I can't stand to drink. Can't return it. Can I resell it somehow? Does Craigslist work?
Bought a bottle of wine from a wine store going out of business (chatted with the guy there and he said his parents want to sell the store and retire, if it matters). I initially wanted moscato because I like sweet wines. And only sweet wines. He said that they were out of moscato so I asked him about any sweet wines. He suggested a white wine and I said no, I want it really sweet like moscato. He suggested port or sherry and pointed out a few bottles. I picked a sherry that he showed me since I thought sherries were super super sweet. Got home and my roommate and I tasted it. We could hardly stand to drink more than a sip. It was super super dry.
The store is going out of business and I'm not a regular there so I can't return it. My roommate usually likes wine but she thought it was gross and way too dry. She said that she'll try to use it for cooking but it will take her a very long time to finish the bottle. I don't have many friends in the city and the ones I have do not like dry wine. What can I do with it?? Can I sell an opened bottle of wine on craigslist? We really didn't drink much, maybe just a shot-glass sized amount. Are there any wine-trading/selling forums for something like this?
I spent under $20 so its not a huge loss but I really wanted to have some delicious wine to drink while I'm lounging around the house... If I can sell it to somebody for even $10, I'll be happy. Am I stuck with this bottle of wine or is there some way to sell it?? If I can't sell it, is there something useful that I can do with it other than cooking? Can I make it into something else? I've made candy corn vodka out of cheap nasty vodka... can I make this sherry sweet and delicious?
(Having a party is NOT an option). Thanks for the help!
Bought a bottle of wine from a wine store going out of business (chatted with the guy there and he said his parents want to sell the store and retire, if it matters). I initially wanted moscato because I like sweet wines. And only sweet wines. He said that they were out of moscato so I asked him about any sweet wines. He suggested a white wine and I said no, I want it really sweet like moscato. He suggested port or sherry and pointed out a few bottles. I picked a sherry that he showed me since I thought sherries were super super sweet. Got home and my roommate and I tasted it. We could hardly stand to drink more than a sip. It was super super dry.
The store is going out of business and I'm not a regular there so I can't return it. My roommate usually likes wine but she thought it was gross and way too dry. She said that she'll try to use it for cooking but it will take her a very long time to finish the bottle. I don't have many friends in the city and the ones I have do not like dry wine. What can I do with it?? Can I sell an opened bottle of wine on craigslist? We really didn't drink much, maybe just a shot-glass sized amount. Are there any wine-trading/selling forums for something like this?
I spent under $20 so its not a huge loss but I really wanted to have some delicious wine to drink while I'm lounging around the house... If I can sell it to somebody for even $10, I'll be happy. Am I stuck with this bottle of wine or is there some way to sell it?? If I can't sell it, is there something useful that I can do with it other than cooking? Can I make it into something else? I've made candy corn vodka out of cheap nasty vodka... can I make this sherry sweet and delicious?
(Having a party is NOT an option). Thanks for the help!
I can't imagine anyone except a hard-up alcoholic would buy an open bottle of sub-$20 sherry.
Freeze it in an ice tray and use it for cooking. If you have culinary aspirations, you could probably make vinegar out of it, too.
posted by elizeh at 11:21 AM on November 5, 2011 [4 favorites]
Freeze it in an ice tray and use it for cooking. If you have culinary aspirations, you could probably make vinegar out of it, too.
posted by elizeh at 11:21 AM on November 5, 2011 [4 favorites]
Seriously? No, don't sell an opened bottle of wine on Craigslist. Make Sherry Potatoes or Sherry Chicken. Or just dump it down the drain and be done with it.
posted by BlahLaLa at 11:21 AM on November 5, 2011 [4 favorites]
posted by BlahLaLa at 11:21 AM on November 5, 2011 [4 favorites]
I guess you can sell just about anything you want on CL.
Though as a buyer, I would never buy an already opened bottle of wine unless I was in love with the actual glass bottle.
posted by lampshade at 11:21 AM on November 5, 2011
Though as a buyer, I would never buy an already opened bottle of wine unless I was in love with the actual glass bottle.
posted by lampshade at 11:21 AM on November 5, 2011
Unless you have a liquor license you can't sell it. Even if you COULD find a buyer.
Use it in a pot roast, and get rid of the rest.
posted by Caravantea at 11:23 AM on November 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
Use it in a pot roast, and get rid of the rest.
posted by Caravantea at 11:23 AM on November 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: I don't cook, my roommate does though and she said it will take her a very long time to use it up.
Selling it seems like a lost cause so whatever. Can I make it sweeter somehow?
posted by lovelygirl at 11:28 AM on November 5, 2011
Selling it seems like a lost cause so whatever. Can I make it sweeter somehow?
posted by lovelygirl at 11:28 AM on November 5, 2011
Seconding freezing it in ice cube trays for cooking. You have a couple of recipes here; here is another.
posted by DarlingBri at 11:29 AM on November 5, 2011
posted by DarlingBri at 11:29 AM on November 5, 2011
Congratulations, you now own a bottle of cooking sherry.
is there something useful that I can do with it other than cooking?
I think the answer here is pretty much no, since you've excluded cooking. Trap snails in the garden?
posted by gimonca at 11:30 AM on November 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
is there something useful that I can do with it other than cooking?
I think the answer here is pretty much no, since you've excluded cooking. Trap snails in the garden?
posted by gimonca at 11:30 AM on November 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: I like the idea of the trifle. But if I make the trifle, will the dry flavor definitely be gone?
posted by lovelygirl at 11:31 AM on November 5, 2011
posted by lovelygirl at 11:31 AM on November 5, 2011
Best answer: If you want to make it sweeter and drink it, I would use it in cocktails. You can find lots of ideas by googling "sherry cocktail."
posted by joan_holloway at 11:31 AM on November 5, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by joan_holloway at 11:31 AM on November 5, 2011 [2 favorites]
Not every purchase is going to be a a keeper, especially in the food and drink category.
posted by jason's_planet at 11:31 AM on November 5, 2011 [4 favorites]
posted by jason's_planet at 11:31 AM on November 5, 2011 [4 favorites]
I'm with gimonca. Cook with it. Imagine yourself being approached with the offer of an opened bottle of wine.
posted by Yellow at 11:36 AM on November 5, 2011
posted by Yellow at 11:36 AM on November 5, 2011
Try adding a small amount of baking soda to sweeten it up.
posted by Land Ho at 11:37 AM on November 5, 2011
posted by Land Ho at 11:37 AM on November 5, 2011
Best answer: Dry sherry is an acquired taste – perhaps you could try drinking more of it, since you might actually grow to like it?
Alternatively, this stuff lasts for ages. People often drink it before and after meals, so it gives you something classy to offer guests when they come round for dinner.
It can also be drunk with lemonade which will sweeten it considerably: rebujito.
posted by mattn at 11:39 AM on November 5, 2011
Alternatively, this stuff lasts for ages. People often drink it before and after meals, so it gives you something classy to offer guests when they come round for dinner.
It can also be drunk with lemonade which will sweeten it considerably: rebujito.
posted by mattn at 11:39 AM on November 5, 2011
you couldnt return it to the store anyway unless it was corked (spoiled). you bought it, you don't like it - $20 lesson learned.
posted by ps_im_awesome at 11:41 AM on November 5, 2011
posted by ps_im_awesome at 11:41 AM on November 5, 2011
Is it possible that it's corked?
The difference between a sweet wine and a dry wine is not that huge.
If it tastes vinegary, it's corked. Throw it out.
posted by Sys Rq at 11:41 AM on November 5, 2011
The difference between a sweet wine and a dry wine is not that huge.
If it tastes vinegary, it's corked. Throw it out.
posted by Sys Rq at 11:41 AM on November 5, 2011
Best answer: Alternative: chill it right down and drink it with baked dates wrapped in bacon and other sweetish appetisers. It sounds like you've got a bottle of manzanilla. It can be an acquired taste but if you can't bear to chuck it, then drink it with sweet-savory foods.
posted by MuffinMan at 11:41 AM on November 5, 2011
posted by MuffinMan at 11:41 AM on November 5, 2011
Even if you could sell it, why go to the trouble for less than $20?
posted by twblalock at 11:46 AM on November 5, 2011
posted by twblalock at 11:46 AM on November 5, 2011
Response by poster: I just absolutely hate wasting things... I feel so guilty :( I'll look into baking with it or making cocktails out of it. Those are both things I like :)
Sys Rq, I don't know much about wine but I have had moscato and at least the one I had was incredibly sweet. It was actually a bit too sweet. White zinfandel is the least sweet that I can stand. (yeah I probably shouldn't even bother with wine lol). I've also had a very nice Canadian icewine and this amazing Japanese plum wine. I don't even really like pinot. This wine didn't taste vinegary though.
I would sell it so I can put the money towards a better bottle of wine :)
posted by lovelygirl at 11:50 AM on November 5, 2011
Sys Rq, I don't know much about wine but I have had moscato and at least the one I had was incredibly sweet. It was actually a bit too sweet. White zinfandel is the least sweet that I can stand. (yeah I probably shouldn't even bother with wine lol). I've also had a very nice Canadian icewine and this amazing Japanese plum wine. I don't even really like pinot. This wine didn't taste vinegary though.
I would sell it so I can put the money towards a better bottle of wine :)
posted by lovelygirl at 11:50 AM on November 5, 2011
Best answer: But if I make the trifle, will the dry flavor definitely be gone?
Maybe not 100%, but it also has a cup of sugar, 12 oz. raspberries, and pancake mix. The sherry will soak into the cooked pancake mix and counterpoint the sweetness from the sugar.
posted by carter at 11:53 AM on November 5, 2011
Maybe not 100%, but it also has a cup of sugar, 12 oz. raspberries, and pancake mix. The sherry will soak into the cooked pancake mix and counterpoint the sweetness from the sugar.
posted by carter at 11:53 AM on November 5, 2011
This is sort of nuts. No one will buy this.
You can make fruit fly traps out of it if you have a fruit fly problem - put an inch or so in the bottom of a jar, throw some fruit waste in too, like a peach pit or apple core, swirl to mix and release the smell, put cling wrap over the top and poke a couple tiny holes. Fruit flies get in but can't get out.
posted by crabintheocean at 11:53 AM on November 5, 2011 [2 favorites]
You can make fruit fly traps out of it if you have a fruit fly problem - put an inch or so in the bottom of a jar, throw some fruit waste in too, like a peach pit or apple core, swirl to mix and release the smell, put cling wrap over the top and poke a couple tiny holes. Fruit flies get in but can't get out.
posted by crabintheocean at 11:53 AM on November 5, 2011 [2 favorites]
You could make punch out of it. I googled Sherry Punch, and there were a lot of hits.
posted by surenoproblem at 11:54 AM on November 5, 2011
posted by surenoproblem at 11:54 AM on November 5, 2011
1. Cheap dry sherry is best used in cooking.
2. Some places where dry sherry works: vegetable soups (especially the winter squashes, pumpkins etc, where you need to add complexity without too much acidity) and beef stir fries (ditto.)
3. Cooking sherry is a pantry staple. Just leave it there (closed obviously) until you need some more. This is not wine you need to finish this week.
posted by fingersandtoes at 11:56 AM on November 5, 2011
2. Some places where dry sherry works: vegetable soups (especially the winter squashes, pumpkins etc, where you need to add complexity without too much acidity) and beef stir fries (ditto.)
3. Cooking sherry is a pantry staple. Just leave it there (closed obviously) until you need some more. This is not wine you need to finish this week.
posted by fingersandtoes at 11:56 AM on November 5, 2011
Best answer: Add it to ginger ale, preferably pomegranate ginger ale. Or get a bottle of maraschino cherries, and add several cherries and some syrup to each glass. Or ginger ale, sherry & a cherry. It'll be sweet.
posted by theora55 at 12:02 PM on November 5, 2011
posted by theora55 at 12:02 PM on November 5, 2011
You don't cook and you find dry wine gross. I guess it's safe to recommend you to add corn syrup to the sherry and enjoy.
That said, if your roommate does cook, sherry can be used as a (Chinese-style, cooking-) rice wine substitute in stir fries, and in that case it goes very fast to use up.
posted by Namlit at 12:05 PM on November 5, 2011 [4 favorites]
That said, if your roommate does cook, sherry can be used as a (Chinese-style, cooking-) rice wine substitute in stir fries, and in that case it goes very fast to use up.
posted by Namlit at 12:05 PM on November 5, 2011 [4 favorites]
Response by poster: There are some ideas here that are intriguing. My roommate just came up with a good idea though: sweeten it up by mixing it with a mix fruit juice and turning it into a sangria! I'm going to get fruit juice, some seltzer and fruits and try the sangria first :)
posted by lovelygirl at 12:07 PM on November 5, 2011
posted by lovelygirl at 12:07 PM on November 5, 2011
I was going to suggest punch if you didn't like the lemonade plan - sangria sounds like a winner. There is really no alcohol (corking etc aside) that can't be put to use by masking the flavours.
If you've any left by Carnival, there's this.
posted by carbide at 12:11 PM on November 5, 2011
If you've any left by Carnival, there's this.
posted by carbide at 12:11 PM on November 5, 2011
Wow, a lot of beanplating going on here. Just drink it like a spritzer mixed with a clear soda like Sprite or 7-Up over ice. It's delicious, and is the way I've made countless bottles of bad wine into supertasty drinks. If you want more highbrow, make sangria out of it (wine/fruit punch.) And no, no one in their right mind -- save an underage kid with $3 in their pocket & desperation for a buzz -- will buy an open bottle of wine.
posted by cuddles.mcsnuggy at 1:05 PM on November 5, 2011
posted by cuddles.mcsnuggy at 1:05 PM on November 5, 2011
Kalimotxo is half coca-cola, half bad red wine.
posted by rhizome at 1:24 PM on November 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by rhizome at 1:24 PM on November 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
Sangria is always good too. Just add some tasty fruits, a bit of brandy and maybe some 7-up. Turn up the heat, put on a dress and some sunglasses and have yourself a party.
posted by dobie at 1:25 PM on November 5, 2011
posted by dobie at 1:25 PM on November 5, 2011
Best answer: Think of it this way: you donated $20 to a nice old couple who want to retire after a life of hard work. They gave you a bottle of cooking sherry as a token of their thanks. No more guilt about waste!
posted by Snarl Furillo at 1:30 PM on November 5, 2011 [15 favorites]
posted by Snarl Furillo at 1:30 PM on November 5, 2011 [15 favorites]
I make this for my own birthday cake every year: Mascarpone-Filled Cake with Sherried Berries.
posted by The corpse in the library at 1:38 PM on November 5, 2011
posted by The corpse in the library at 1:38 PM on November 5, 2011
Response by poster: Snarl Furillo- that comment is full of win!
posted by lovelygirl at 1:39 PM on November 5, 2011
posted by lovelygirl at 1:39 PM on November 5, 2011
Best answer: Tipsy Sherry Cake-Pan Cake will use up the sherry a cup at a time and is very, very easy to make even if you're not much of a baker. It's especially delicious when it's still warm from the oven, and it has enough sugar that you won't be bothered by the dry flavor of the sherry. (Read about the cake-pan mixing technique at the top of the post, then search/scroll down for the "tipsy sherry" variation.)
posted by Orinda at 1:54 PM on November 5, 2011
posted by Orinda at 1:54 PM on November 5, 2011
It's not going to go bad, so even if it takes a long time to finish the bottle, so what?
posted by Ideefixe at 1:56 PM on November 5, 2011
posted by Ideefixe at 1:56 PM on November 5, 2011
Freeze it in an ice tray and use it for cooking.
It's not going to freeze easily due to the high alcohol content. The spoiler is oxygen, so re-bottle it by filling smaller containers to the top.
I sometimes use clean Yop bottles for this.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 2:19 PM on November 5, 2011
It's not going to freeze easily due to the high alcohol content. The spoiler is oxygen, so re-bottle it by filling smaller containers to the top.
I sometimes use clean Yop bottles for this.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 2:19 PM on November 5, 2011
Best answer: Sherried Tomato Soup--uses up 1 cup of sherry. That should make a nice dent in your bottle. And it's delicious to boot.
posted by litnerd at 2:48 PM on November 5, 2011
posted by litnerd at 2:48 PM on November 5, 2011
Best answer: Sherry will keep a long time in the fridge - you could use it just like white wine in recipes, like shrimp scampi, yum ...
And don't give up on the interesting sweet wines! For future reference, sweet sherry is called "cream sherry." You might also want to try a madeira, which I think is yummier than port or sherry. And then there are the sweet whites - get your hands on a sweet new York state reisling!
posted by yarly at 4:13 PM on November 5, 2011
And don't give up on the interesting sweet wines! For future reference, sweet sherry is called "cream sherry." You might also want to try a madeira, which I think is yummier than port or sherry. And then there are the sweet whites - get your hands on a sweet new York state reisling!
posted by yarly at 4:13 PM on November 5, 2011
Tio Pepe? Really? Rid of it? That's a great sherry you got there. The best selling brand in the world. Maybe it's a matter of taste, but a quick google would have told you it's really dry. Wikipedia:
Tio Pepe has based its recent success on promoting itself as a very dry white wine.
I should STFU and GTFA now.
posted by omegar at 8:11 PM on November 5, 2011
Tio Pepe has based its recent success on promoting itself as a very dry white wine.
I should STFU and GTFA now.
posted by omegar at 8:11 PM on November 5, 2011
I'd use it in French Onion Soup, which is sooo easy even if you're not a cook.
posted by kpht at 8:14 PM on November 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by kpht at 8:14 PM on November 5, 2011 [1 favorite]
My favorite sweet wine is port, followed by cream sherry.
posted by jb at 5:44 AM on November 6, 2011
posted by jb at 5:44 AM on November 6, 2011
cream sherry is sort of a crappy industrial confection. Proper Sherry with lots of residual sugar is Pedro Ximenez or many Olorosos
posted by JPD at 9:27 AM on November 6, 2011
posted by JPD at 9:27 AM on November 6, 2011
Run it through a carbon filter and see what happens.
posted by benzenedream at 12:38 PM on November 6, 2011
posted by benzenedream at 12:38 PM on November 6, 2011
Tio Pepe is very good fino (bone dry) sherry. You have a fine bottle of wine. Your salesman was an idiot however.
posted by spitbull at 7:10 PM on January 11, 2012
posted by spitbull at 7:10 PM on January 11, 2012
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