Cooking With Wine

The reasoning behind cooking with wine is to intensify and enhance the flavor of food. Wine is known to release flavors in many foods that otherwise would not be experienced. It is amazing the difference that cooking with wine can make in a wide variety of foods and how very simple it is.

How Much Wine

Many people do not cook with wine because they are unsure of how much to use. The flavor of wine in cooking is derived from the nature of the wine and not the alcohol. Most of the alcohol evaporates and very little is left in the finished dish. Boiling down wine concentrates the flavor, including acidity and sweetness. Be careful not to use too much wine, as the flavor could overpower your dish. The first step is to try a small amount of wine so the flavors will blend and not become too overpowering. As your are cooking try sampling your dish and add as needed.

What Kinds of Wine to Use for Cooking

The type of wine you use is very important. Cook only with wine that you would drink. Do not purchase a lower cost wine. Conversely this does not mean that you need a very expensive bottle. A well made medium grade for under $10 is just fine.

To start, I would suggest using a very mainstream white or red. As you get more accustomed to using wine as an ingredient in your dishes, you will be more likely to experiment. I prefer Sauvignon Blanc as a white wine for sautéing, marinating, and in sauces for seafood, and chicken. I have also been happy with the results of using Cabernet Sauvignon or Chianti for meats and meat based sauces.

It is best to stay away from wines that are heavily flavored with oak. These wines tend to give off a bitter taste. If a wine is extremely fruity, sour, or unsavory, these characteristics will be also be emphasized during cooking.

The trick is to experiment. The more you cook with wine, the better you will become at predicting how a specific wine will enhance your menu.

Good Places to Put Wine in Your Food

1. When a recipe calls for water, replace the water with a favorite wine.
2. Stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of a full-bodied red into brown gravy. Let simmer to create rich brown gravy for red meat.
3. Mix wine with your favorite oil to baste meat and poultry.
4. For meat dishes calling for wine, first heat the wine. Do not boil the wine, this will loose the flavor.
5. Adding cold wine tends to make meat tough, while warm wine helps tenderize it.
6. Dry red wines have better chemistry with heavier red meats.
7. Serve the same wine with dinner that you cooked with, as they will balance each other. If you prefer to use a fine wine during dinner, try to stay within the same wine family.

Final Thoughts

Cooking with wine can be a pleasure and a great enhancement to the final taste. Just be sure that you don't cook with what you would not drink!

Contributor: A.J. Jones

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