Cooking with wine?
4 Varieties that are Basically Foolproof
As magical as red wine is to drink, it can really work wonders in sauces, stews and desserts. The red wine your best friend falls head over heels for might not necessarily be your jam, as each wine has it’s own unique tasting notes and aromas to draw in your senses. There’s no limit to Red wines that suites perfectly for a recipe as most Red wines can be used interchangeably at any time when cooking, but there are a few specific styles to stick with to get a desired result. When you’re on the hunt for the best red wine for cooking here are some classes of wine to consider:
- Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir (When cooking beef, lamb, sauce or stew)
- Merlot (When cooking chicken, duck or pork)
- Pinot Noir (When cooking seafood,)
- Merlot or Chianti (When cooking vegetables or sauce)
CABERNET SAUVIGNON
Cabernet sauvignon is the progeny of cabernet franc and sauvignon blanc, two grapes still prominent today. It originated, probably spontaneously, in Bordeaux in France, in the mid-1700s. They’re usually full and rich like Pinot Noir, but since they’re made from a blend of grapes instead of just one, they may help balance the flavor of your dish better. Be sure to use Cabernet when cooking meals like steak, short ribs, brisket or stew. This style’s oak notes can turn harsh and woody when cooked too quickly or with weaker ingredients, so skip pan sauce and tomato sauce.
MERLOT
Merlot is typically soft, silky and fruit-forward. And thanks to its low to mild tannins, it’s pretty much always safe to cook with. Merlot is great for pan sauces and reductions, offering jamminess and structure—just simmer it over low heat to thicken it and concentrate its juicy flavors. Depending on the quality, Merlot can range from simple to mind-blowingly complex. Rich Merlots are similar to Cabernet Sauvignon, full-bodied and structured with notes of stone fruit, chocolate, coffee and tobacco. Use a lighter, fruity, medium-bodied Merlot for chicken and sauces and a full-bodied one for short ribs, steak and lamb.
PINOT NOIR
They’re silky, earthy, acidic, smooth and come light- and medium-bodied. This style is versatile, great for both stews and soft, fatty meats, thanks to its tenderizing properties, as well as seafood and poultry. It tends to be fruity and earthy in flavor with berry and mushroom notes. Pinot Noir aged in oak barrels, like Cabernet, isn’t best for quick sauces, but rather low-and-slow recipes. Keep an eye out for red Burgundy when you’re at the liquor store too—some winemakers use that name for Pinot Noir after the region where the grapes are grown (they may be a little pricier). Use Pinot Noir for salmon or stew recipes.
CHIANTI
If you’ve never sipped a glass alongside an Italian dinner, you’re missing out big time. Chianti is famous for its herbaceous, earthy, peppery flavor, but it can also be on the fruity, delicate side. Sangiovese wines, named for the main grape used in Chianti, have a signature tart acidity and spiciness that make them an uncanny stand-in for Chianti. Chianti is best for tomato sauce, pasta dishes and pan sauces rather than hearty stews. Even higher-quality Chianti that’s more tannic and fuller-bodied isn’t bold or dense enough to do a cabernet sauvignon’s job.
TIPS FOR COOKING WITH RED WINE
- Cooking wine and regular wine are two different things—so you shouldn’t substitute them interchangeably.
- Avoid using old wine. If you opened a bottle over a week ago, it’s been oxidizing and likely tastes different than you remember.
- Don’t use expensive or fancy wine either. Most of its delicious intricacies and complexities will be cooked off once the wine is heated, so it’s really a waste of quality vino.
- Cook wine low and slow, cooking it over high heat (say for a pan sauce or tomato sauce) will often result in an edgy, sour taste. use low and moderate heat temperature when cooking with Red wine.
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Source; purewow