Red Wine–Based Derivative Brown Sauces

Red wines used for sauce making must be chosen carefully (see “Red Wine”). A red wine sauce will always be improved if the wine is cooked with meat trimmings or stock rather than being reduced by itself or with aromatic vegetables alone; the proteins in the meat or stock help eliminate undesirable tannin from the wine. Most classic recipes take this into consideration and call for reducing the red wine a second time with demi-glace or meat stock.