Wine in the recipe

[pacanis]

Hi,
I've run into a time or two where the recipe calls for wine, but I don't drink wine so never have any on hand. I heard on the cooking shows that you are supposed to use a wine you would drink and would like recommendations on good, but inexpensive wines to have on hand. Red and white I'll assume.
Also, how long can I expect the wine to last inbetween uses, or do I need to become a wine drinker

Thanks

 

[Half Baked]

You can buy 4 pks of wine and each bottle holds about 6 oz. That way you could always have some fresh wine for a dish w/o wasting a whole bottle.

 

[Andy M.]

You can also freeze wine in small amounts for later use. Chardonnay and sauvignon blanc are good for whites. Pinot noir and merlot are good for reds.

Also consider buying a bottle of dry white vermouth. It's a fortified wine so it will last a long time after opening.

 

[pacanis]

Hey great ideas! I think I'll do both.... buy some in small bottles and freeze what I don't use. I did not know it came in small bottles or could be frozen.
Andy, are the wines you listed "types" of wines or can I ask the state store (I live in PA) for a bottle of say, merlot, and he will hand me one?

 

[Andy M.]

Yes, they are types of wine, not brands. You don't need expensive wines for cooking. For a normal sized bottle, you should pay less than $10 each for cooking.

 

[Robo410]

dry vermouth, dry sherry, and brandy are fortified wines that will last on your pantry shelf, but have "speciallized uses".

 

[Uncle Bob]

Please don't leave out two of my favorites..Burgandy and Marsala

 

[pacanis]

This is kind of where my problem lies. There are so many types and then brands.... how is a non-wine drinker like me supposed to pick one out I would like and that would give the desired taste? The recipes should say which particular wine that author used.
I'm assuming that if it says white wine, I should not reach for the bottle of vermouth everytime, but I really don't know.

And me with a home surrounded by vineyards How ironic.

 

[Andy M.]

For all purpose cooking, where the recipe calls for generic red or white wine, dry vermouth, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc will do the trick for whites and pinot noir or merlots for the reds. These are not the only types that will work, just some of the more common and less expensive, drinkable wines.

Sherry, marsala, madiera and brandy are more special use wines and would not be the best choices for a red or white wine recipe. Burgandy is another name for pinot noir.

Good wines from Australia and California can be had for small dollars. Go into any wine shop and ask for inexpensive wines that you want to cook with. Tell them you want one of the types mentioned and want to spend less than $10 a bottle. They will not be offended or think you are a cheakskate. The look forward to helping people who are new to wines so they can get you interested.

 

[pacanis]

Thanks again, Andy.
Armed with a little knowledge now (usually a dangerous thing) I'll be a bit more prepared to go wine shopping.
I had no idea dry vermouth was even used for anything except martinis and perfect manhattans....

 

[Andy M.]

Vermouth was recommended to me by Julia Child for use in white wine recipes.

 

[pacanis]

It was recommended to me by my father to put in the drinks I mentioned

 

[Andy M.]

No further justification needed!

 

[spryte]

I'm in PA too... and I'm also not a wine drinker. But the people at the state store were FAR less than helpful when I asked this same question. If you would like a couple of inexpensive names... I've used Woodbridge Chardonnet, YellowTail Chardonnet... I can't remember, there are a couple other kinds. But it is intimidating walking into the wine section to pick something out. I've tried a couple of Marsalas and one was AWFUL and one was decent... but I don't remember the name of it! As for red... well... someone gave me a dry red wine that worked out well.

It would be really helpful if someone could give a couple of names of widely available, inexpensive wines for cooking. PA is a severly booze challenged state!

Dry White
Does White come sweet??
Dry Red
Sweet Red
Marsala
Other kinds? I have no idea.

 

[morela]

I use Yellow Tail when cooking because it tastes good enough to drink and is pretty inexpensive. They have several different kinds, both red and white and I don't dislike any of them.

 

[kitchenelf]

I keep boxed wines in my cabinets - Burgundy for the red and a Chardonnay for the white - boxed Chardonnays are unoaked so they are very suitable for cooking. These wines will last about 1 year so if you can look ahead to a couple recipes (cog au vin, shrimp scampi, etc., you can easily use them up).

They keep well because no air gets to them to oxidize them.

 

[Andy M.]

Dry White: Australian chardonnays are not oaked. Look for Lindeman's Bin 65. Woodbridge wines are Robert Mondavi products and are decent and inexpensive. Corbett Canyon makes a boxed chardonnay.

Any of these brands in a Sauvignon Blanc would also qualify.

Does White come sweet??: White Zinfandel - Berringers. Johanesburg Reisling - Jekel.

Dry Red: Same brands. Lindemans Bin 40 merlot, Woodbridge and Corbett Canyon also.

Sweet Red: Don't know

Marsala: Florio is a good brand. Buy dry Marsala for savory dishes and sweet Marsala for dessert dishes.

 

[pacanis]

So is cooking with wine a personal kind of thing? In other words one person may like a sweet wine and another a dry in the same dish?

You folks have been very helpful!

 

[Andy M.]

So is cooking with wine a personal kind of thing? In other words one person may like a sweet wine and another a dry in the same dish?

You folks have been very helpful!

To a certain extent, yes. But, most recipes will call for a dry white or dry red. In wine talk, dry means not sweet.

Of course, if you're making chicken marsala, you have to use marsala wine. If you substitute another wine, you just have to call it something else.

 

[pacanis]

Chicken Ripple?