Wine production dates back thousands of years, and cooking with wine is an important element of many delicious dishes from around the world.
Other than helping you relax after a long day, wine has three main uses in the kitchen; as part of a marinade, a cooking liquid, or for flavouring a finished dish. Cooking with wine is used to intensify, enhance and accent the flavour and aroma of food.
As with any seasoning used in cooking, great care should be taken in the amount of wine used – too little is inconsequential and too much will be overpowering. When used properly wine should fortify the flavour of what you are cooking not mask it. To avoid spoiling a dish add the wine in small amounts, and wait ten minutes for it to impart the food before deciding whether to add more.
The alcohol in the wine evaporates while the food is cooking, and only the flavour remains, and a table explaining the rate of evaporation is included later. Boiling down wine concentrates the flavour, including acidity and sweetness, and will quickly remove much of the alcohol.
For best results when cooking with wine, the wine should not be added to a dish just before serving. The wine needs to simmer with the food, or sauce, to enhance and combine with the flavour of the dish. If wine is added too late in the process, it could impart a harsh quality.
Remember when cooking a wine that it does not belong in every dish, and using more than one wine-based sauce in a single meal is usually overpowering.
Here are some chemical reactions you should know about…
Sulphites
All wines contain a small number of sulphites (Sulfur dioxide) as they are a natural result of the same fermentation process that turns grape juice into alcohol.
Sulphites are used by winemakers to keep freshly pressed “must” from spoiling and sometimes more are added artificially. Sulphites keep down the activities of native yeast and bacteria and preserve the freshness of the wine.
When cooking with wine containing sulphites, you do not concentrate them as you would flavour, but rather evaporate them like alcohol – leaving behind a tiny amount of salts. This is because the sulphites go through a conversion in the liquid of the wine to produce sulfur dioxide. Sulphur dioxide is the compound that prevents the oxidation of the wine when it’s being stored.
Tannin
Tannins are a family of natural organic compounds that are found in grape skins, seeds, and stems. During the ageing process oak barrels also infuse some tannin into the wine. Tannins are an antioxidant and natural preservative and give the wine structure and texture.
In concentrated quantities, tannin will cause the occasional pucker sensation in the mouth and back of the throat. This is sometimes accompanied by a bitter aftertaste, which is referred to as tannic.
Visually, tannin forms part of the natural sediment found in the bottom of the bottle.
Continue reading to find out how to pair wine with food…
How to pair wine with food
Think of flavouring a recipe with wine in the same manner as you would when adding a spice – the flavours need to mellow over time in the dish. For example, it’s recommended that a young, strong red wine is allowed to cook for at least 45 minutes.
Which colour wine?
The next question, is often should I use a red or white wine? Reds tend to bring colour, clarity and a distinctly dry characteristic to the foods they flavour.
Use reds for flavouring red sauces with red meat. For example, a bold red wine would be perfect for a meatball marina or stout stews with lots of heavy vegetables. White wines are known to bring an acidic quality with a bit of sharpness. Use a white wine if you are making cream sauces, emphasising white meats, or using seafood.
In regards to dryness, a Sauvignon Blanc is extremely versatile for cooking, and falls squarely in the dry white wine category – but a Pinot Grigio works well, too.
In terms of reds, stay away from very tannic (see above) and oaky reds like Cabernet Sauvignon. The oak and tannins concentrate during the cooking process and make for a very strong flavour, which is usually undesirable. Use a wine like a Merlot if a recipe calls for a strong red wine, but in general, lighter wines tend to work best in cooking as they are not as overpowering.
This table should help you find the best partner for your cookery needs.
Classic wine pairings
| Wine | Uses |
|---|---|
| Young, full bodied red wine | Red meat or red meat dishes |
| Young, full bodied, robust red wine | Red sauces |
| Earthy red, full bodied red wine | Soups with root vegetables and/or beef stock |
| Dry white wine or dry fortified wine | Fish, shellfish, seafood, poultry, pork, or veal |
| Dry white wine or dry fortified wine | Light, white, or cream sauces |
| Crisp, dry white wine | Seafood soups or bouillabaisse |
| Sweet white wine or sweet fortified wine | Sweet desserts |
| Dry, fortified wine (i.e.: sherry) | Consommé, poultry, or vegetable soups |
| Regional cuisine | Regional wine |
Continue reading to find out more about alcohol in the cooking process…
Alcohol in cooking
The amount of alcohol that remains in your dish is dependent on the manner and length of preparation. Typically, the alcohol in the wine evaporates while cooking and only the flavour remains.
The following table of alcohol remaining after food preparation is from the Agricultural Research Services of the USDA (1989).
Alcohol retention
| Use | Alcohol retained |
|---|---|
| Immediate consumption | 100% |
| Boiling liquid, remove from heat | 85% |
| Flamed | 75% |
| Overnight storage (Open) | 70% |
Alcohol retention over cooking time
| Dishes that have been baked or simmered | Alcohol retained |
|---|---|
| After 15 minutes | 40% |
| After 30 minutes | 35% |
| After 1 hour | 25% |
| After 1.5 hours | 20% |
| After 2 hours | 10% |
| After 2.5 hours | 5% |
Wine Reduction for Pan Sauces
As an estimate;
½-¾ cup of wine = 2 tbsp. of wine reduction
For the best flavour, wine should be reduced slowly over low heat. This method takes more time and effort, but it will likely achieve a superior sauce because the flavour compounds present in the wine are better preserved.
Other advice for cooking with wine
- Keep leftover wine – white and red – in the fridge, and it should be suitable for cooking with for up to a week. Any longer than that and the contents will have oxidised and would probably spoil your meal.
- Stir in 1-2 tablespoons of a full-bodied red wine into the brown gravy and let it simmer to create rich brown gravy for red meat.
- Adding cold wine can make the meat tough, while warm wine helps tenderise it.
- Serve the same wine with dinner that you cooked with, as they will balance each other. If you prefer to use a fine/expensive wine during dinner, then try to stay within the same wine family.
If you have any other questions about cooking with wine please get in touch.