What Wine for Cooking?

Kara in Holyoke, MA, writes,
"If I'm not following a recipe that calls for a specific wine, but I want to add some to a saute, or braise something in wine, what wines are good for that? (red and white)"

There are a few ways to go about this. If you'll be drinking a certain wine with dinner and need only a little for your cooking, use that same wine: It will be virtually guaranteed to pair well at table because the wine has been used in preparing the food.

If you're making something that you happen to know is a classic match with a certain wine (beef with cabernet, shellfish with Chablis ...), you're already way ahead: Use that wine to cook your food. Go for a bottle that isn't the cheapest one on the shelf. After all, if you're going to the trouble of cooking, you don't want to make an airline meal-and I don't mean Business Class! Lastly, let me heartily dissuade you from even considering buying wine labeled as cooking wine in the supermarket. You'd be far better off cooking with Bud Light.

The third and last option is to keep a few bottles on hand for spur-of-the-moment something-au-vin. Again, a bottle around eight to twelve dollars is your best bet. Also, avoid heavily oaked wines, which often overpower the flavor of the food (if you haven't tried the wine, read the back label or ask the salesperson). I generally like to have on hand

1. a fruity white for vegetables, lightly spicy dishes (like Indian food), pork, or chicken. Georges DuBoeuf Chardonnay ($8) is a good choice, Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc ($12), or most Italian pinot grigios.
2. a more restrained citrussy or herbal white for fish, shellfish, risottos, and "dry" pastas. These include any Muscadet (a French region), any albarino (a grape used in northwest Spain), and "Aragosta" Vermentino from Sardinia ($10).
3. a couple of reds for just about everything else, including beef braises, mushroom dishes, meat sauce for pasta, and stews. Remember to go easy on the oak. Try anything labeled Bordeaux Superieur for beef dishes; Chianti is good in pasta sauce and mushrooms; and Paul Jaboulet Cotes du Rhone "Parallel 45" ($10) is a good all-purpose choice that's also pleasant for sipping while you cook.

Comments

[Kara]

Thanks for the general answer as well as for the suggestions!