Cooking With wine
When a recipe calls for "1/4 cup of dry white wine" or "1 cup of medium bodied red wine", do you know what kind of wine to use? Most people have no idea where to start and they either skip the wine altogether in their recipe or they just grab whatever wine has a pretty label. But you don't have to feel overwhelmed anymore! In my podcast episode #5, I discussed the basic tips for shopping for a wine to cook with as well as the specific wines I recommend using in recipes that call for white wine, medium bodied red wine, full bodied red wine, and fortified wines! I’ve highlighted all of these notes below and also included a fun graphic that you can save to your phone for the next time you’re shopping! If you wan to listen to the full episode, you can listen now at the below button!
My 4 top tips for cooking with wine are:
Quality Matters. If you aren't willing to drink it, you shouldn't cook with it!
Don't buy any wines that are labeled as "cooking wine"! This is a marketing tactic to get rid of cheap wine!
Wine needs about 60-90 minutes to completely cook out of food. So keep in mind that if you only simmer your sauce for about 15 minutes, most of the alcohol content will still be in your dish.
Use the wine you plan on drinking with dinner as your cooking wine! Sounds simple, but it's the best way to ensure your food and wine will pair perfectly!
Check out the graphic below for more amazing tips and pin this to pinterest or save to your phone for later!
Now if you are looking for specific examples of each varietal, here are my top recommendations by varietal of wines that you should be cooking with:
If a recipe calls for a dry white wine, try using Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc. Below are some of my favorites:
Ruffino Pinot Grigio, Venezia
Tesoro Della Regina Pinot Grigio
Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio
Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc
Matua Sauvignon Blanc
Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc
If a recipe calls for a medium bodied red wine, try using Tempranillo or Chianti (Sangiovese is the varietal). A few of my favorites are:
Tenuta Di Renieri Chianti
Villa Antinori Tuscan Red
Banfi Chianti Classico
Montecillo Rioja Crianza (Tempranillo)
Campo Viejo Rioja Riserva (Tempranillo)
If a recipe calls for a heavy red, try a Syrah/ Shiraz or a Cabernet Sauvignon. Try one of the below:
Montes Alpha Syrah
Penfolds Shiraz
Decoy Cabernet Sauvignon
Hess Select Cabernet Sauvignon
If a recipe calls for a fortified wine, try using Sherry, Maderia, or Marsala. Some great options include:
Osborne Pedro Ximenez Sherry
Sandeman Madeira
Florio Marsala
Most of the above wines can all be found at major wine stores as well as online retailers! As long as you stick within the above varietals, you will still have a great cooking wine, even if you can’t find the specific label I recommend!
I hope this was helpful! If you learned something new, please write me a review on Apple Podcast or Facebook to let me know!
Cheers!