Ways to cook with Wine
Discover the delicious possibilities of cooking with wine! Plus learn how to use wine to enhance your culinary creations.
Published: February 1, 2023 · Modified: February 8, 2024 by Jennifer Ryan
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Keith Floyd was one of the first TV celebrity chefs who brought a certain carefree and yet
passionate quality to the food channel. Famous for drinking a glass or two of wine while cooking, he certainly inspired many home cooks to add a little wine to the dish they were
preparing.
We have many reasons to thank Chef Floyd because adding wine to your cooking has
many benefits.
Adding wine to a dish doesn’t mean adding alcohol because the alcohol will evaporate long
before the food reaches the serving platter.
However, before the alcohol evaporates, it will promote the dishes’ flavors far more effectively
than other ingredients like olive oil or butter.
When adding wine to a sauce, ensure that the alcohol has evaporated by reducing the sauce
and allowing the flavors to concentrate.
There is a strong temptation to use leftover wine for cooking. For example, a half-empty bottle of red wine looks like just the fitting addition to a winter beef stew, but sadly, there is no magic for making good wine out of one that has deteriorated.
So, it is essential to try and preserve the wine you intend to use for cooking, either by storing it
in the refrigerator or using one of the handy pumps that create a vacuum in the bottle by removing the air.
Let’s deal with the various properties of wine that are important for cooking.
Acidity
All wine has a level of acidity. Some more than others, and it is essential to match the dish’s acidity with the wine. For example, sauces containing tomatoes as their main ingredient require a wine with a strong acid content to balance with the high acidity level of tomato-based sauces.
For these types of sauces, wines made with Sangiovese grapes would be a good choice. But, on the other hand, a low-acidic wine like Merlot would not be a good choice.
Tannins
Red wines contain tannins, and Cabernet Sauvignon is renowned for the powerful tannins that result in a dry sensation on the tongue when drinking this wine. It isn’t so much of a taste, but rather a sensation.
The perceived dryness is caused by tannins reacting with the proteins on your tongue.
Introducing Cabernet Sauvignon to meat dishes causes the tannins to react with the proteins in the meat rather than the proteins on your tongue. The result is a smoother and softer wine that enhances the taste of the meat.
Make sure that there are enough proteins and fats in the sauce to neutralize the tannins if you use Cabernet Sauvignon to add flavor to your sauce.
So, if you are preparing hearty meat dishes, venison, or rich meaty stews, a young Cabernet Sauvignon would be an appropriate wine to use.
Bread and Butter Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
This wine epitomizes the almost boisterous nature of some Californian red wines. A combination of maturing in oak and healthy fruits makes for a well-balanced wine.
The use of grapes sourced from vineyards close to the Atlantic and others with plenty of sun exposure creates an intense wine with the power to blend with those gorgeous flavourful meat dishes.
Flavor Characteristics
Wines have particular flavors that enhance dishes with similar characteristics. For example, Pinot Noir, with its low tannins and subtle mushroom aromas, is an excellent addition to mushroom dishes.
With its bright and zesty qualities, Sauvignon Blanc is a comfortable companion to citrus sauces, particularly with fish.
Creamy dishes respond well to the mellow vanilla qualities of wooded Chardonnay. So, to make an irresistible white wine sauce, Chardonnay should be right at the top of your list of wines to use.
You can choose from the lighter and crisper Chardonnays from the cooler climates which are ideal for delicate fish sauces, while the oaked wines from the warmer regions are more suited to creamy pasta or lasagne.
Kumeu River Chardonnay 2021
This wine has gathered a host of international Awards, including beating Chardonnays from Burgundy in the 1914 blind-tasting competition. The Chardonnay is light with a delicate minerality. Old French barrels are used to ferment the handpicked grapes, which are whole bunch pressed and fermented.
The result is a Chablis-type wine that is fresh and fruity with just a gentle hint of toasted flavors.
The fresh lemon notes make this an ideal wine for sauces with fish.
Kendall Jackson Vintners Reserve Chardonnay 2020
Hailed as the quintessential Chardonnay of California. The wine is a combination of grapes sourced from specially selected vineyards across the State. The wine is a delicious mix of fruit
flavors ranging from pears and tropical fruit to citrus and green apples.
This Chardonnay is the ideal accompaniment to light white sauces for fish and grilled chicken breast.
Bogle Chardonnay 2021
Here, we are dealing with a rich and creamy Chardonnay. It’s perfect for creamy sauces because of the substantial involvement of oak in the fermentation and maturation process.
With over 150 years of Californian wine-making experience, Bogle Chardonnay is a wine you can rely on with its rich buttery qualities. It will be inspirational for creamy pasta sauce.
If you are heading towards summer salads or grilled fish dishes, perhaps even some spicy Asian food dishes, then Sauvignon Blanc would be a good combination.
Matetic EQ Sauvignon Blanc Coastal 2020
This Chilean Sauvignon Blanc is grown less than ten kilometers from the cool Pacific Ocean.
The result is a fresh, bright wine with citrus and tropical fruits and a well-balanced minerality.
Excellent for seafood dishes.
Wine and food belong together. They enhance the enjoyment of the meal and bring out the
imaginative flair of the chef. Enjoy.