Red Wine in Spaghetti/tomato Sauce?

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letscook

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Just curious --
some people put red wine in their Speggetti / Tomato /red Sauce.
(Everyone ones call is different )

Who Does and what kind of red wine do you you use.

Of course the old rule is don't use any wine if it doen't taste good to drink.
 
I often put a splash of burgundy wine in my spaghetti sauce. Gives it a nice flavor, just don't overdo it.
 
I use what I have... or even a splash of red wine vinegar.
 
I use any good red that I have on hand for spaghetti, but I like the finish of Merlot in the sauce. I use white wine for white pasta sauce, usually a Reisling and I like them both.
When I make one of my favorite sauces, Spicy Cauliflower Sauce, I use only white even though the sauce is a red cream sauce. It's delicate so it needs a white wine. Awesome!!! And yes, Vodka does a good job of flavoring some sauces.
 
I use whatever is in my glass at the time. White or red it doesn't matter to me. Usually it's a Cab, Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio
 
For a red sauce I like Valpolicella. Valpolicella is the perfect wine with red sauce as it is low in acid and doesn't fight with the acid in the tomato sauce/tomatoes. I use quite a bit of tomato paste but thin it with the wine. I also put a splash in about 10 minutes before serving to brighten up the flavor.
 
I almost always add some red wine in my tomato based sauce, except for when I do amatriciana. I also prefer the red in Bolognese sauce although most of the recipe suggests the white. It adds a distinctive depth and a pleasant tang in the flavour, without which, to me, the sauce would taste a bit bland. I just glog it out on to the sauce and don't measure, but I would say about 100-150ml (3,5-5oz) roughly for 2 of us, and the rest we drink it off for the dinner, which works out well as the full bottle (750ml) is usually slightly excessive for us to finish it.
Our favourite red which is used most often is Lambrusco di Modena.
 
I almost always add some red wine in my tomato based sauce, except for when I do amatriciana. I also prefer the red in Bolognese sauce although most of the recipe suggests the white. It adds a distinctive depth and a pleasant tang in the flavour, without which, to me, the sauce would taste a bit bland. I just glog it out on to the sauce and don't measure, but I would say about 100-150ml (3,5-5oz) roughly for 2 of us, and the rest we drink it off for the dinner, which works out well as the full bottle (750ml) is usually slightly excessive for us to finish it.
Our favourite red which is used most often is Lambrusco di Modena.


I had forgotten all about Lambrusco til you mentioned it. This was our favorite wine back in the 70's and haven't had it since. I think I'll get a bottle today while I'm out. I always did like that wine. Does anyone remember when the "in" wine was Mateus Rose?
 
I had forgotten all about Lambrusco til you mentioned it. This was our favorite wine back in the 70's and haven't had it since. I think I'll get a bottle today while I'm out. I always did like that wine. Does anyone remember when the "in" wine was Mateus Rose?

Why NO, I haven't a clue about this Mateus Rosé you speak of - :blush:


:mrgreen:
 
I remember Mateus Rose and Lambrusco from the 70s as well. Lambrusco was kind of the white zinfandel of red wines.
 
I thought it was Riunite and Lancers that were the "In" wines. lol I remember seeing those jugs when I was a kid.
 
The reason to add wine to tomato sauce is twofold:

1) It adds a nice flavor note;

but probably more importantly ...

2) Alcohol releases flavor components in the tomatoes that are not dissolvable in water or oil. The alcohol in the wine makes the tomato flavor much deeper and more complex. This is also the purpose of adding vodka to tomato sauce -- but in that case vodka is used because it is relatively flavorless. It's only purpose is to enhance the tomatoes.
 
I thought it was Riunite and Lancers that were the "In" wines. lol I remember seeing those jugs when I was a kid.

Riunite is the brand of Lambrusco. Wouldn't have remembered that name in a million years. We did a lot of Lancers' too in that little funny looking brown bottle. Ummm, I wasn't a kid. :LOL: Anybody remember Boones Farm? That's when we were poor and had no class. LOL. Two bottles for $4.50.
 
I use what I have on hand also. Sometimes its white, just not anything sweet. A merlot or cab sav. are usually the best though. In a pinch a tablespoon or so of balsamic vinegar is good in tomato sauce.
 
Oh God - talk about blasts from the past!!! Mateus, Lancer's, Lambrusco? The popular selections at all the wine-&-cheese bars way back when. Way too sweet for my tastes now, & I'd NEVER add them to pasta sauce.

I always add a little dry red wine to red pasta sauces - even jarred ones. I splash some into the jar & shake it up to rinse it out into the pan. I use whatever dry red I have on hand - usually Burgundy, but frequently a Cabernet or Pinot as well.
 
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