Ultimate guide to cooking with wine

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Cooking with Wine

Why cook with wine?

There are a many different reasons for cooking with wine – here are just a few:

Adding flavour: Adding wine to the pan and reducing it (to concentrate the flavours) can add intense berry fruit flavours to a dish.
De-glazing: Some recipes will ask you add wine to a pan that has been used to cook meat and other ingredients and heat it. The acidity will dissolve the sticky meat juices so that you can then add them to the dish for extra flavour.
Slow cooking: The acidity in wine also helps break down some cuts of meat during slow cooking – leading to a beautifully tender and succulent dish.
Creating a sauce: Cooking shellfish such as mussels or clams in white wine, and adding herbs and garlic, creates an irresistible sauce in itself.
Cutting through fat: Adding a splash of wine (red or white) to homemade gravy can cut through the fat and improve the texture and balance.

What wine should I use for cooking with red meats?

In most cases, when cooking with red meats, you would use a red wine – but not always.

Spaghetti Bolognese

I’ve seen many recipes for ‘Spag Bol’ that specify a red wine for the sauce. But I prefer to use a white. Why? Well, the secret to a great Bolognese sauce is really good-quality beef mince. And you don’t want to smother its delicate flavours with an overly rich tomato and red wine sauce. I would happily drink a white wine with spaghetti Bolognese too – for the same reasons. Try an elegant Gavi di Gavi or a zesty Pinot Grigio.

Beef Bourguignon

Is there anything more comforting than the smell of a beef casserole wafting through from the kitchen? And the mother of them all is Beef Bourguignon. Marinating the beef in red wine before cooking adds flavour and gives it an incredibly soft, juicy texture. The perfect wine would be a red Burgundy. Its supple red fruit flavours will perfectly complement the meat. For something more affordable try a Pinot Noir from Chile.

Coq au vin

Like Beef Bourguignon, Coq au Vin is traditionally made with red Burgundy. However, this popular dish is made all across France – and quite naturally, locals use whatever wine is local to their own region. Go for a medium-bodied dry red such as a Côtes-du-Rhône, or for an international flavour, a fruity Argentinian Malbec. You could also go with a white, such as an un-oaked Chardonnay or a Chenin Blanc – something with a little richness to match the herby flavours of the dish.

What wine should I use for cooking with white meats?

Similarly, when cooking with white meats, you would usually use a white wine.

Pork chops

There’s a great recipe for pork chops with fennel and olives in Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s Light and Easy cookbook. After frying the chops to seal in the juices, you add a splash of wine to the pan – stirring to soak up all the grilled meat flavours. This then forms the base for the sauce. The perfect white wine would be Chenin Blanc or Chardonnay, as both have green apple flavours that perfectly complement the meat. These wines will also work with your own favourite pork chops recipe.

Chicken in white wine sauce

Chicken served in a creamy white wine sauce is a year-round treat – with the wine helping to cut through the richness of the cream and adding a little citrusy kick. Here, I’d recommend a fragrant white such as a Sauvignon Blanc from Chile or South Africa, as those aromas will really shine through in the dish.

What wine should I use for cooking with fish and shellfish?

For fish and shellfish, you would usually use a white wine.

Pan fried cod with white wine sauce

Cod is a rich yet delicate fish with a firm texture and nutty flavour. This makes it perfect for dishes where the sauce takes centre stage. You’ll find plenty of recipes for roasted or pan-fried cod online, often with tomatoes and basil or other herbs. If the sauce calls for wine, go for something light. An Italian Trebbiano or, for a real treat, an Albariño.

Dover sole with beurre blanc

A rich buttery beurre blanc sauce is the perfect accompaniment to delicate white-fleshed fish such as Dover sole or skate wings. The recipe calls for reducing the wine down to concentrate its flavours, so it’s best to use a crisp, dry white. Chablis (since you’re treating yourself) or Sancerre would be a good choice. But a Pinot Grigio or Grillo would work well, too.

Final thoughts: choosing a great cooking wine

If the recipe calls for a specific wine, use it – or as close as you can get.
As celebrated TV chef and ‘gastronaut’ Kieth Floyd insisted – the quality of wine you cook with should be the same as what you will be drinking.
Red wines should be medium-bodied and unoaked (or lightly oaked). You don’t want to overwhelm the dish.
White wines should be fairly neutral. You don’t want oaky notes or overtly fruity flavours dominating your sauce.
Never cook with wine that’s gone off. If it’s been open a while and is OK, that’s fine – but give it a sniff first to be sure.