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What wine should I use in cooking
Appears in
By John Ash
Published 2004
This may be the question I’m asked more than any other. The answer I give is to be sure to use a wine that you would be willing to drink at that moment. Some people have the idea that an inferior wine or maybe one that you opened and didn’t like and stuck in the refrigerator door for three weeks can be used for cooking. I say if you wouldn’t drink it, then don’t cook with it.
There are no hard rules as to when to use white or red. My basic rule of thumb is that if the dish is a hearty one, like Basic Beef Pot Roast, then the wine should also be hearty, which suggests a big red like Cabernet Sauvignon. For a more delicate dish, like Salmon Fillet Roasted in Lemon Butter, a more delicate wine seems desirable, preferably a white that won’t “stain” the food, like Sauvignon Blanc. In the recipes, I’ve often suggested a wine varietal, but don’t feel you have to go out and buy that particular one. I’ve tried to describe the style (“light,” “fruity,” “off-dry,” “hearty”) to help you if you’re getting a recommendation at the wine store or choosing from the bottles you have at home.