Help with Burgundy (in cooking recipe)!

[Barb L.]

I have a recipe for button mushrooms that calls for a cup Burgundy - never bought it and am clueless in what to buy. Advice would be appreciated ! Thanks, Barb L. (Its Outback Steakhouse Sauteed mushroom recipe- (copycat one )

 

[Andy M.]

Burgundy is a red French wine named for the region of France where it originated. Burgundys are made with Pinot Noir grapes. You can find lots of reasonably priced Pinot Noir wines from the west coast of the US (California, Oregon and Washington). Look for Robert Mondavi as a decent and reasonably priced brand.

 

[shpj4]

Burgundy is a red wine and goes very well with meat dishes. Just pick up a bottle and when you are through with the wine make sure that the cork is put in tightly.

 

[ironchef]

Burgundy is a red French wine named for the region of France where it originated. Burgundys are made with Pinot Noir grapes. You can find lots of reasonably priced Pinot Noir wines from the west coast of the US (California, Oregon and Washington). Look for Robert Mondavi as a decent and reasonably priced brand.

Australia also makes some cheaper Pinots but their wines tend to take on a bit more spicy and acidic characteristics, due to their warmer climate. I personally don't care for an acidic Pinot.

The cheaper Mondavi Pinots are okay to cook with but if you're going to drink it, then at least buy the RM Carneros Pinot Noir. Don't the the RM "Private Selection" label fool you. The only thing private about it is that it sucks.

There are some decent, reasonably priced Pinots coming out of the California Central Coast. However, keep in mind that Pinot Noirs are one of the few wines where more often than not, the price DOES reflect the quality. With other grapes (merlot, cabernet, etc.), you can find diamonds in the rough with very good $10-15 bottles of wines. The Pinot Noir grape is the hardest grape to grow and cultivate into a successful wine and so the prices WILL most often give you an indication as to how the wine will taste. As a general rule, expect to pay upwards of $25-30 for a very good domestic Pinot, and $18-24 a bottle for a good to decent Pinot.

With that being said, I would recommend at least a $15-20 bottle of Pinot to cook with from the regions that Andy stated.

 

[Half Baked]

Shoot, just buy some Gallo Burgundy...great taste for cooking and cheap! I easily drink it on it's own.

 

[mudbug]

have to agree with Half Baked. If you only need a cup of the stuff for your dish and you never usually buy it, I'd go for the Gallo.

You can keep using it for other cooking situtations if you don't drink or are fussy about what you do drink. Or you could pop for one of the wines iron chef suggested and serve the rest to your guests.

 

[Half Baked]

Hey, it looks great in a carafe at Christmas...

Ask the guests to drink it sparingly...it'll be done w/i an hour.

 

[Candocook]

Absolutely--use the Gallo or a comparable one. The chances are that Gallo burgundy will be better than a cheap pinot--probably the hardest wine there is to get a good one at a decent price. For a recipe like that you could use merlot or cabernet also.
Just an FYI--cooking schools use box wines for their wine needs. It is drinkable and that is what is required for a cooking wine.

 

[Barb L.]

Thank you every so much -knew I could count on you all --will go with HalfBaked, it just will be for cooking ! " Merry Christmas" and God Bless !, Barb L. (Babs)

 

[Half Baked]

I drink it while I'm cooking, in the winter....it's fine. I wouldn't be embarrassed to serve it to friends.

 

[Barb L.]

Burgundy is a red French wine named for the region of France where it originated. Burgundys are made with Pinot Noir grapes. You can find lots of reasonably priced Pinot Noir wines from the west coast of the US (California, Oregon and Washington). Look for Robert Mondavi as a decent and reasonably priced brand.

Went to the store today to get my Burgandy, never saw so many in my life ! saw the Robert Mondavi -- got it home showing Hubbyand noticed it was a Zinfandel ! I was so mad at myself -I just saw the Robert M. and grabbed it! Guess I have to go exchange it! Bummer -

 

[boufa06]

I drink it while I'm cooking, in the winter....it's fine. I wouldn't be embarrassed to serve it to friends.

Well said! Ditto.

 

[jennyema]

BARB

If going back is a chore, I'd just use the zin. Frankly, if it's lit or cooked you probably won't notice a while lot of difference anyway.

 

[ChefJune]

Burgundy is a red French wine named for the region of France where it originated. Burgundys are made with Pinot Noir grapes. You can find lots of reasonably priced Pinot Noir wines from the west coast of the US (California, Oregon and Washington). Look for Robert Mondavi as a decent and reasonably priced brand.

HoHoHo! this question made me laugh, because last weekend when I was cooking my birthday dinner, I was looking for a good, inexpensive Pinot to make my Pinot Noir Mushroom Sauce, and my wine merchant sold me a $7.99 bottle of a goodie called "Pinot Evil!" Had to save the bottle so everyone could have a good laugh, but you won't laugh if you buy that wine, because it was quite tasty! a very good value. The wine we drank with our Wild Alaska Salmon with the Pinot/Mushroom Sauce was Vision Cellars 05 Gary's Vineyard. Now THAT was a treasure! (Vision Cellars | Home)

 

[ChefJune]

Went to the store today to get my Burgandy, never saw so many in my life ! saw the Robert Mondavi -- got it home showing Hubbyand noticed it was a Zinfandel ! I was so mad at myself -I just saw the Robert M. and grabbed it! Guess I have to go exchange it! Bummer -

Barb, you can cook with that, it will be fine! I often use Cotes du Rhones when recipes call for "Burgundy." sometimes I just use what's on hand, or I can't find the "right juice" at a price I want to pay.

You also can sometimes find good French Pinots. They're usually called "Bourgogne Rouge." But Beaujolais or Cotes du Rhone or some Zin's work just fine, too.

 

[Candocook]

HoHoHo! this question made me laugh, because last weekend when I was cooking my birthday dinner, I was looking for a good, inexpensive Pinot to make my Pinot Noir Mushroom Sauce, and my wine merchant sold me a $7.99 bottle of a goodie called "Pinot Evil!" Had to save the bottle so everyone could have a good laugh, but you won't laugh if you buy that wine, because it was quite tasty! a very good value. The wine we drank with our Wild Alaska Salmon with the Pinot/Mushroom Sauce was Vision Cellars 05 Gary's Vineyard. Now THAT was a treasure! (Vision Cellars | Home)

It REALLY is a good wine!! Darling name!! Complete with the monkeys on the label.

 

[Candocook]

Absolutely use the wine you have. It is not a big deal.

 

[Veloce]

One good thing about the box wines (besides the price) is that they stay usable for a long time, unlike wine (of whatever price) in a bottle. For people like me who only use wine for cooking that's a good thing.

 

[kitchenelf]

I'm all for the boxed wines to cook with and sip every now and then. They last for months and months and months and months!!!!

I also agree with just keeping the Zin - the mushrooms will turn out fine!

 

[philso]

jeez barb, i guess i misunderstood the thread. i thought you were inviting us over to help you out with your wine.