Any drawback to using corked or oxidized wine in a sauce?

[AlexR]

I use wine like this in stews and have not as yet encountered any off flavors.

What about sauces though?

Have you had any negative experiences?

Best regards,
Alex R.

 

[Chopstix]

I don't like drinking wine that's been re-corked at least 2 days. To me it's not fit for drinking anymore. But as long as it doesn't taste bitter, I'd use it for cooking, stews or sauces.

 

[ironchef]

You mean besides having your sauce possibly taste like crap? If it taste ok then the sauce should taste ok. But if the wine tastes like crap then the sauce will probably taste like crap unless you doctor it.

 

[Gretchen]

I agree with Ironchef. If it is drinkable (and not just "tolerable") I "might" use it.
I have only in fairly recent years known the term "corked" for wine that is spoiled in the bottle as we have gone to more wine tastings.

 

[Uncle Bob]

Pour it in the sink....rinse well...dispose of the bottle!

 

[Loprraine]

I was always told "if it's not good enough to drink, it's not good enough to cook with".

 

[Andy M.]

Imagine how good your stews would taste if the wine was good.

 

[YT2095]

Loprraine, same here, if you wouldn`t drink it, you do NOT cook with it.

 

[Nicholas Mosher]

Three days is usually what I can get out of a bottle. If I can get a meal and a couple glasses out of a $9 bottle, I'm usually satisfied even if I have to dump a glass or so.

Lately I've been drinking some of the Bully Hill's wines out of New York. The "Love My Goat" table red is amazing. I let it rest for about 1/2hr before drinking.

 

[ChefJune]

Pour it in the sink....rinse well...dispose of the bottle!

Thanks for the laugh! and I concur!

If it's not something you'd drink, it's not good enough to cook with, for anything. You may be getting by with it in stews, if you enjoy the flavor of vinegar in your stews (I don't), but sauces -- for me -- wrould be beyond out of the question.

 

[karadekoolaid]

If it's corked you could use a little bit is "Chicken Vindaloo" or "Pork Vindaloo". Not much - wine and garlic are the definitive ingredients, originally.
However, you'd also need to add about 1 dozen hot chillies...

 

[auntdot]

I just found this thread, sorry I am a bit late.

But I don't understand. Why add something that has a off taste to a dish you want to taste pleasant?

Sounds like one is betting the remaining flavorful aspects in the wine will come out and the nasty flavors will be masked.

Sounds like risky business to me.

There is an adage among data crunchers that states 'garbage in, garbage out'.

The same goes, I believe, for cooking.

And yes, I am aware that the alcohol in wine is supposed to help release flavors from the food that just water will not. Particularly when it is used to deglaze a pan.

But why knowingly add a nasty flavor to any dish? Particularly when one can get a bottle of vin ordinaire very inexpensively.

Just my rant for the night. Take care.

 

[kitchenelf]

Corked wine is terrible - as the others have said - I wouldn't use it. If you're not sure what "corked" wine is like if you smell/taste something like an attic, a cellar/musty basement, acetone, or vinegar your wine is "corked".

 

[Robo410]

day old wine may be drinkable, certainly good for cooking stews, heavy tomato sauces etc. 2 day old wine may work for heavy stews, especially older tougher cuts. after that, consider making your own wine vinegars...
day old wine also spices up well this time of year! cheers

 

[kitchenelf]

day old wine may be drinkable, certainly good for cooking stews, heavy tomato sauces etc. 2 day old wine may work for heavy stews, especially older tougher cuts. after that, consider making your own wine vinegars...
day old wine also spices up well this time of year! cheers

I agree on the spices for day old wine!!!!! MMMMM - might be a good idea for right now! The issue was "corked" wine though - that's a whole different thing.

 

[Gretchen]

Just an FYI for wine use in cooking. Our Johnson&Wales University uses boxed wines for their cooking. Boxed wine is a good solution since it is not exposed to air.

 

[Robo410]

Aunt Dot, I would disagree with your adage, "There is an adage among data crunchers that states 'garbage in, garbage out'. The same goes, I believe, for cooking."

One of the joys of cooking for me is taking something that is less than palatable and making it scrumcious. Whether it be leaftovers made into a pie or stew, or using the nasty bits to create wonderful tasty dishes, part of creative cooking is taking the yuk and making it yummy. (off milk can be used in bisuits, off wine can be used in a sourbratten, etc. (but yes, there are limits of reasonability no doubt.)

 

[jennyema]

Corked wine has, by definition, gone bad. Why would you use that for cooking?

 

[Gretchen]

Corked wine has, by definition, gone bad. Why would you use that for cooking?

In my opinion, the original poster was asking if he/she could use a leftover bottle of wine and may not have realized that "corked" has a VERY specific meaning in the wine world. Which is why I mentioned it in my post, and as now, several others have also.
That is how I interpreted the post, for what it may be worth.
BUT I just went back and re-read and maybe not--lives in a wine region, and talks about "oxidized" too. Maybe not just leftover wine.
Corked wine is BLECHHHH! Unuseable.

 

[JDP]

Why would you have corked or oxidized wine. There are 5 restaurant size glasses or 3 my size pours in a bottle. If I was to put some into stew I would have to open a second to get us through dinner. But that's how we roll in Wisconsin especially in the winter. If I'm spending time, effort and money to make something, I'm not going to try and save $3-$5 worth of old wine. You should have finished the night before or go to the boxed wines.