What Kind Of White Wine Do You Use?

[sydfan]

For those of you that cook with wine. I'm really starting to like using wine. It adds a great flavor! I'd like to know what you guys use, and whether or not cheap wine is any different from expensive wine when it comes to cooking.

 

[amber]

I havent noticed a difference between cheap or expensive wines. General rule of thumb for me is if I like to drink the wine then I will cook with it. I prefer dry white wine.

 

[Toots]

I use whatever wine I have onhand. If I know I need a bottle of red to make a beef stew, I do tend to buy a cheaper red wine. But if I only need 1 cup of white wine for a sauce, etc., I just use what I have open.

 

[Constance]

I'm just learning wines, and which I do and don't like. I do like a Chardonnay for cooking and sipping.

 

[ironchef]

I'll use a dry Sauvignon Blanc, Fume Blanc, or Chablis 90% of the time. However if I'm cooking Italian I'll try to use a Pinot Grigio or Italian Chardonnay. The other 10% of the time will be recipe specific i.e. a Sherry, Champagne, Riesling, etc.

I generally don't prefer California Chards unless there's nothing else available because of the big oakiness that the majority of them tend to have. Chards from Australia, New Zealand, South America, etc. tend to be more minerally so becareful when using those as well.

If you're looking for a specific price range, I would say that anything in the $10-15 range would be fine for normal, everyday cooking. Of course you should try the wine as well, and if you don't like the taste you may not like it in your food either.

 

[Constance]

IC, one thing I'm learning is that I like the Italian wines.

 

[Dina]

I use Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc to cook chicken and fish recipes. It gives dishes a distinct crisp taste.

 

[pdswife]

Paul and I don't drink a lot of wine... hardly any. So, I buy (don't laugh!!) wine in a box to use for cooking. It lasts forever and seems to be ok taste wise.

 

[kitchenelf]

PDS - I'm not laughing AT all - that's what I cook with. I like to drink different wines than I cook with. The boxed wines are PERFECT for coooking. I'll upload a picture of how I keep mine when I can find the cord that goes from the computer to the camera It's lost in the sea of wires!

I use Chardonnay or Chablis and Burgundy - these do most cooking duties.

 

[Corinne]

Paul and I don't drink a lot of wine... hardly any. So, I buy (don't laugh!!) wine in a box to use for cooking. It lasts forever and seems to be ok taste wise.

Yep - that's exactly what I do - buy the box-o-wine for cooking. Works great for me. I'm not laughin' at ya but maybe everyone else is laughing at us. It's nice not to be alone, hunh?!

 

[kadesma]

Yep - that's exactly what I do - buy the box-o-wine for cooking. Works great for me. I'm not laughin' at ya but maybe everyone else is laughing at us. It's nice not to be alone, hunh?!

Ph poo guys,
I use a pinot or some of the wines mentioned IF I have it, if not I use what's on hand..If you like the boxed wine, heck use it no need to feel that you can't or shouldn't..I'm for what you like versus what is supposed to be correct anyway..So you see you are not ALONE

kadesma

 

[grumblebee]

For desserts or sweet dishes I will use a Riesling.. For all other sauces/dishes that require white wine I will usually use a pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc. I will only use a wine for cooking if i like the taste and like to drink it. If I dont want to drink it then I dont want it in my food!

 

[ironchef]

IC, one thing I'm learning is that I like the Italian wines.

Yeah, one great thing about Italian wines is that they are very food friendly, both in terms of cooking and drinkability.

 

[pdswife]

Yep - that's exactly what I do - buy the box-o-wine for cooking. Works great for me. I'm not laughin' at ya but maybe everyone else is laughing at us. It's nice not to be alone, hunh?!

very very
good! Thank you!!

 

[sydfan]

Paul and I don't drink a lot of wine... hardly any. So, I buy (don't laugh!!) wine in a box to use for cooking. It lasts forever and seems to be ok taste wise.

Yeah.....wine kinda sucks as a drink in my opinion, but I'm a big fat beer swilling guy, so..........

Yeah, I just wondered if you had to use high quality stuff. I'm glad you don't!




Ya know, this chick I used to live with a long long time ago liked to cook and she made a chicken breast cooked in a Chinese plum wine and it was freaking killer!!!!!!!! I'm gonna have to hunt me down some of that stuff!

 

[Claire]

I usually use what I'm planning to serve with the meal (needless to say, I don't drink expensive wines; if I did, I'd probably buy a less expensive version of the same wine). I always recommend to my non-drinking friends to keep a fortified wine on hand -- dry vermouth for white; sweet vermouth, Madiera, Marsala, Port or Sherry for red (they will be sweeter than a regular red wine, but most people like that, especiallly in a mushroom sauce). They have a long shelf life and are very easy to work with. Very "forgiving" and less acidic than regular wines can be.

 

[GB]

I am another one who uses boxed wines for cooking. When I started doing that I only know of two wines that you could get in a box. Now more and more wines are being boxed. There are some reall good ones that you can get now.

Kitchenelf I bet our setup is close to the same. I have my box o wine in a cabinet up high with a stuck of dixie cups next to it. The dixie cups are a half cup each. When i need a little wine for a dish I just pull out a cup and open the box of wine without removing it from cabinet. I can open the spout and hold the dixie cup under it or if I need a more then just a little bit I can hold the pot under it. The wine lasts forever which is a huge plus too.

 

[Michael in FtW]

What wine I use totally depends on the dish (recipe) I am preparing - but I never buy expensive bottles of wine for cooking.

Now, about the "Box-O-Wine" .... yep, I use them, too, for the most part when I need a basic dry red or white. Why? Because they last forever! The wine is in an air-tight bag, so it doesn't oxidize and go sour (vinegar) like a bottle will - you uncork the bottle, pour some out, air gets in, etc.

 

[jpmcgrew]

I cook with wine alot it's great stuff.I especially like cooking with Spanish Sherries.WOW! What a difference.

 

[jennyema]

I like to use dry, crisp unoaked wines like Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, White Burgandy, etc. I cook with a 750ml. bottle I buy at the Stop and Shop for $10.

California Chards are way too oaky for me -- that leaves a lasting taste in the food that I don't care for. I don't like drinking them much either. But if you do -- by all means cook with them.