Scott,
The first thing to do would be to find what wine suits your taste. Pick up a couple different bottles of whites and reds and try them out. You can find some real nice wines for under $10 a bottle. I have been consuming and collecting wines for a few years now. I am far from an expert, but I know alot of what's out there.
Start off with any white or red from California. A Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet would get you off to a good start. The Pinot and Cab's are dry, where the Chardonnay is a little fruitier and woody at the same time. The Merlot is a lighter, fruitier red than the Cab. If you prefer sweeter wines, a Reisling or Beaujolais would suit you. Drier wines would be Cabernet's (alot of Italian reds are very dry), Pouilly Fuisse is a tad drier than a Chardonnay.
My "go-to" wines are: Cavit Pinot Grigio and Mondavi Cabernet in the 1.5 litre form.
These are my daily drinking/cooking wines that I keep at all times.
Some brands you may want to go by are: Mondavi/Woodbridge, Three Blind Moose, Peppergrove, Mirasou and Hogue Cellars. These are all $10 bottles. A very nice Cab is Chappallet ($30-35) which is comparable to a $125 bottle.
All of these wines can be used in cooking. (Except for maybe the Chapp
)
Once you find your style, you'll know what flavor it will add to your dish.....heck, I could be sauteing some string beans and throw in a cup of whatever it is I'm drinking at the time.
Good luck and let us know how you make out.