Cooking Wine

One doesn't like to cook with anything you wouldn't want to drink, and sometimes the bottom of the main event bottle isn't enough for what you are cooking and you need to open a bottle of something for cooking wine.

I've taken to keeping a screw cap litre of Trebbiano d'Abbruzzo around for those times when some shellfish needs steaming or a white wine based sauce needs doing.

Anyone have faves of either colour they use for cooking?

We don't subscribe to the old adage: "Cook with what you are going to drink." We do subscribe to a modification: "Cook with a less expensive version of what you are going to drink."

We have often hung on to ends for cooking such as you have. We also, particuarly in winter stew season, keep 1.5s of inexpensive Chilian things in the fridge for cooking. Next winter, though, we may switch to boxes from Oz.

Yes, although the Oz boxes get a lot of criticism, they have the significant advantage that they don't promote oxidation once opened.

Problem is that I find a normally acidic Italian wine works better for cooking (and drinking?) than the fruit-floozy Aussie style you usually get in the bag in a box.

It depends on the number of folks I'm cooking for. If it's just Janet and me, I cook with half a bottle of what we are going to have with dinner.

If we are having guests, I usually would cook with a fruity CdR or a village Burgundy, depending on the meat. The 2005 Burgundies are really very nice, and I've got a stock of a dozen bottles set aside for cooking over the next year or so.

Being a big believer in being contrary, I use dry white vermouth when a recipe calls for dry white wine. It's shelf-stable and at $3.99 a bottle, a decent price.

I use dry white vermouth when a recipe calls for dry white wine.

Fully agree. When recipes call for small quantities, it is hard to beat. Works very well in Chinese dishes too. For Japanese we use Sake.

For small quantities of red wine we keep a bottle of inexpensive Tawny Port on hand.

Being a big believer in being contrary, I use dry white vermouth when a recipe calls for dry white wine. It's shelf-stable and at $3.99 a bottle, a decent price.

This is a good idea.

I keep California inexpensive madeira-like wine around to use in a variety of reduction sauces where I want some sweetness--it even works well to balance tomato sauce. I am sure it's shelf life is at least a generation longer than mine!

[David M. Bueker]

I keep some screwcapped, dry Gruner Veltliner.

We find that Franzia Chardonnay in the box works quite well for most applications calling for small amounts of white wine. The stuff's not godawful and is not as flabby as I would have expected.

For reds, I usually use my homemade wine. The syrah, in particular, makes a delicious brasato al "barolo".

We find that Franzia Chardonnay in the box works quite well for most applications calling for small amounts of white wine. The stuff's not godawful and is not as flabby as I would have expected.

For reds, I usually use my homemade wine. The syrah, in particular, makes a delicious brasato al "barolo".

I always use the Franzia in a box for marinading turkey, chicken or salmon headed for my smoker.

For red wines I usually use the Jug wine chianti. If I am making it for company though, I usually use a gamay based wine or like Bob will use a village burgundy or a less expensive CdR.

For white dishes, it really depends on the dish. For Beef Stroganoff or French Onion Soup I always use a less expensive super oaky Cali Chardonnay. To poach salmon En Papillote I always use vermouth. Creamy soups usually get a Fino sherry, and I will marinate chicken or pork in cheapy Pinot Grigio.

Very rarely will I use the same wine I am drinking because I am really cheap

Very rarely will I use the same wine I am drinking because I am really cheap

So I guess wine jelly made from Yquem is right out of the question at your place....darn!

Very rarely will I use the same wine I am drinking because I am really cheap

So I guess wine jelly made from Yquem is right out of the question at your place....darn!

LOL Bill! Yes...totally out of the question...LOL!

Much as I hate to admit it, I used Yquem in a sabayon once. And an '88 Climens for the same duty just a few weeks ago. So shoot me.

Much as I hate to admit it, I used Yquem in a sabayon once. And an '88 Climens for the same duty just a few weeks ago. So shoot me.

Stuart, all I can say is "you, and Bill "Microsoft" Gates"

Stuart, all I can say is "you, and Bill "Microsoft" Gates"

Well no, now that Bill has dropped to second richest man on Earth I have it on good authority that he will only be using Climens to make his Jello from now on.....

Much as I hate to admit it, I used Yquem in a sabayon once. And an '88 Climens for the same duty just a few weeks ago.

So should we assume that this was not because the bottle was sitting around already opened and collecting dust and needed to be used but rather because you felt it offered a superior result to using a cheaper wine?

So shoot me.

No, I don't think shooting is the correct response. Rather, a request to taste said sabayon.

It was at the end of a long meal and we were pretty toasted by that time, so it just seemed like a good idea

[Robin Garr]

Much as I hate to admit it, I used Yquem in a sabayon once. And an '88 Climens for the same duty just a few weeks ago. So shoot me.

No incoming fire from this direction. I've got to know, though: How were the results? Could you detect any real difference in the zabaglio^H^H^H^H sabayon, or did the other ingredients pretty much cover up the special sauce?

Hard to say. I was drunk at the time and we had just gotten our female guests ready for the hot tub. I wish I could remember who they were...

Actually, it was superb, but I doubt I could distinguish it from a sabayon made with any other excellent Sauternes. It would NOT have worked with a mediocre wine. The French version of sabayon is very simple, basically just wine, sugar, and egg yolks, so it actually shows much of the wine's character.

We have often hung on to ends for cooking such as you have. We also, particuarly in winter stew season, keep 1.5s of inexpensive Chilian things in the fridge for cooking. Next winter, though, we may switch to boxes from Oz.

You can freeze leftover wine in plastic water bottles. It doesn't hurt the wine and you don't have to worry about oxidation turning it into vinegar.

It was at the end of a long meal and we were pretty toasted by that time, so it just seemed like a good idea

Yes. Ok. I can see that.

You know me too well!