When customers come into the store asking what kind of wine they should buy to cook with, I believe, in most cases, that they should not spend a lot of money. I don\u2019t think you should use swill, or wine that has turned to vinegar; but when you apply heat to a wine, the alcohol cooks out along with a variety of other nuances.<\/p>\n
When I was in culinary school at Johnson and Wales University in Charleston, South Carolina, I did my fair share of cooking with wine. I promise there wasn\u2019t a single fine dining restaurant that I cooked in where I used an Italian amarone wine reduction for a sauce. The wine we used typically came out of a box. But there are wines that are better used in a sauce than a steak. The main cooking wines are dry red and white still wines, Marsala, Madeira, sherry, and rice wine.<\/p>\n
Dry red and white wines are the most commonly used wines in cooking. Most people have at least one bottle of wine in their house at all times, so it\u2019s the easiest to grab. A dry wine is one that lacks residual sugar. It is used mostly in marinating meat or vegetables, stews, soups, and a lot of pasta dishes.<\/p>\n
Marsala is produced around the Italian city of Marsala, and the style can range from dry to sweet. It is primarily made from the Grillo, Inzolia, and Catarrato grapes. Marsala is a fortified wine containing around 15\u201320 percent alcohol, and is usually used in sauces.<\/p>\n
Madeira is similar to Marsala because it\u2019s a fortified wine that can also range from dry to sweet. It is produced in the Madeira Islands in Portugal. There are various styles and levels of Madeira, but if you are using it to cook with, choose those labeled \u201cFinest,\u201d which have been aged for three years. The cheaper versions are actually flavored with salt and pepper. So, I do recommend purchasing a step up from the bargain bin.<\/p>\n
Sherry is another fortified wine from Spain, made primarily from the Palomino grape. Dry sherry is a great substitute for rice wine. Rice wine is an alcoholic beverage made from rice, and usually used in preparing Asian and Chinese dishes.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m sure some cooking aficionados and chefs will disagree with me but, after graduating from Johnson and Wales, I still think that you shouldn\u2019t spend a whole lot of money on wine that\u2019s about to have all its alcohol cooked out. If you are marinating a nice cut of meat, I would use a little higher quality wine, but in general spend your money on the bottle of wine you are pairing with the dish.<\/p>\n