Chardonnay or Merlot? Cooking With Wine

Chardonnay or Merlot?
Cooking With Wine



A common cooking question often heard by many chefs is: “Why should I cook with wine when it all just burns off anyway?” Well, nothing could be further from the truth. Much (but not all) of the alcohol burns off, depending on the cooking process, but the flavor and the essence of the wine remains. Using the right wine or alcoholic beverage for a dish can make worlds of difference, and while experimentation is always fun, there are a few basic rules to follow.

Rule # 1: Throw away the cooking sherry!
Definitely use a drinkable wine - not a cheap bottle of sherry from the vinegar aisle (that should be your first hint on what it tastes like). That certainly doesn’t mean you need to be dumping a $100 vintage in your risotto, but use what tastes nice. A lot of people find that to them, many vintages under $20 taste better than many vintages over $50. If you’re wanting to save money, or if you don’t drink wine often, you can buy individual serving bottles and use those for your cooking, so nothing goes to waste.
Rule # 2: Use a wine that matches what you’re cooking.
Actually, this is simpler than it seems. The general rule is that with fish, poultry, and most other white-flesh meats, a white wine should be used, and for red meats, red wine. You can use different varieties of each to attain different nuances and flavors in a dish, so go ahead and experiment. Also, when cooking desserts, you should use a dessert wine, like sweet Marsala. Your local liquor store should be able to help you select one.
Rule # 3: Consider the preparation before choosing the type of wine.
When you use a wine that paired perfectly with one dish, sometimes you will be surprised to see that it doesn’t perform as well for some things as it does for others. That would definitely be the case if you used a somewhat delicate red wine in a simple pot roast, and then tried using it in a complex curry dish. It wouldn’t be able to stand up to the intense flavor, so a more robust wine should be used.

So if you’ve never added the recommended wine in a recipe, you should give it a try. When you do, you’ll realize what you’ve been missing. Wine and food are a most classic pairing.

Biggie Liquors is the largest provider of wine, beer and spirits along the 285 corridor. Best prices, best selection and knowledgeable staff. Come on by and see us!

Biggie Wine and Liquors
303.816.9013
We are in King Soopers Shopping Center
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Any questions about wine, beer or spirits for Jon, email .

Does anyone cook Turkey in wine and what is the best wine to have with Thanksgiving dinner?

I'm sure someone from Biggie will give you the true scoop, but a good chardonnay is good with turkey, but I prefer red. Malbec goes well with turkey...pretty much anything that isn't too heavy... Some people I know also like Gewurztraminer or Riesling too....

I have to buy some wine tomorrow. I am not a wine person. Thanks so much Renegade.

Just ask the biggie people....they always have good suggestions!

I LOVE to cook with wine. Sometimes I even add some to the food!

I add it to me, so my cooking tastes better.