Cooking with Wine

When cooking with wine, try not to use anything labeled “cooking wine”. Go with a good wine, a wine that you would drink.

Remember, what you have left from wine after cooking is its flavor, and the better the wine, the better the flavor in the food you are cooking. Wine should be added at the beginning of the cooking process, giving the alcohol time to evaporate. Simmer to reduce the wine and dissipate the alcohol. Do not add any other liquid until the wine has cooked for a few minutes. Should you cook with white or red? There is no set rule, but usually white wine goes well with lighter preparations, such as fish or chicken. Red wine is great for braising red meats and game. It is also good in making a reduction for grilled or seared meat, such as steaks, chops, and filet mignon.

I talk about which dry wines you should use for cooking here:

I prepare two wine sauces, one with white wine and the other one with red wine: