Did you know you can enhance your favorite dishes by using wine as an ingredient in your recipes?  Almaden wines bring out the finest flavors and aromas in foods. Wine When used correctly, wines should intensify, enhance and accent the properties of your food, not overpower it. 

Following are answers to your questions about cooking with wine.   Don’t be afraid to try your hand at cooking with wine, and transform your meal into more of an experience for the senses! 

Q:        What wine works best as an ingredient when cooking?

A:        Almaden recommends using the same wine in cooking that you plan to serve with dinner.  This is just a suggestion however, not a guideline that must be followed. Sparkling wines that have gone flat are good for cooking.

Q:        Should you use your best wine in cooking?

A:        It is not necessary to use expensive wines when cooking, as the most delicate flavor of the wine will be lost in the cooking process.

Q:        What is “cooking wine?”

A:        Cooking wine is table wine that has had salt added to it.  This makes the wine non-potable (undrinkable) so that it is not subject to alcoholic beverage tax.  This wine has a longer shelf life and may be purchased in a grocery store.

Q:        Does Almaden recommend using table wine or cooking wine?

A:        Both table and cooking wines serve as good ingredients in cooking.  However, remember that cooking wine has salt added so you may need to adjust the amount of salt that you use in your recipe.

Q:        What does heat do to wine?

A:        When wine is heated to 172.4 degrees Fahrenheit, the alcohol evaporates (212 degrees Fahrenheit is boiling point).  Wine changes its character depending upon the amount of heat and the length of cooking time.

Q:        When should wine be added to a recipe?

A:        If you want to retain the fresh flavor of the wine, add the wine just before serving.  This will add a stronger wine/alcohol flavor to the food.  If you want to accent flavors, blend other flavors, tenderize or marinate, add the wine at the beginning and again just before serving to maintain the wine flavor.

Q:        Should red or white wine be used?

A:        Red wines can be easily used in marinades to tenderize meat and in cooking to bring out the flavor of foods.  White wines can be used in sauces or can be diluted with water to poach foods such as fish.  Wines are usually simmered to disperse the alcohol and mellow the flavor.

Q:        Can wine be used for soups and stews?

A:        Use wine as part of the liquid, to suite your taste, in preparing a favorite soup, frozen soup, chili, or soup from a mix.  Or add a spoonful or two of wine to each bowl of soup before serving.  Use more the next time if you feel you would like the flavor increased.

Q:        Can wine be used when cooking with vegetables?

A:        Frozen vegetables with cream sauce are nicely accented by the addition of a tablespoon or two of white wine.