From rice wine to red wine, we’re covering everything you need to know about types of cooking wine. Even if you’re new to cooking or a long-time home chef, this post will cover everything you need to decide which wine to use for your recipe.
Unless you’re trying to make Zabaglione (an Italian Custard) that competes with 5-star restaurants, you probably haven’t used wine for cooking. But there are actually a lot of simple recipes that can benefit from wine, like this easy homemade risotto. No matter your cooking experience, this guide will help you pick the best wine for everything from custard to risotto to stews.
What is Cooking Wine?
Well, simply put, it’s a wine that was made specifically for cooking. Cooking wine tends to have a higher alcohol content, but remember that this doesn’t matter so much, as the alcohol burns off when you cook with it.
So, what’s the purpose of adding wine to your food? Well, wine is surprisingly salty and sweet—both flavors that can take recipes from good to great! Cooking wine can be found in many of the same varieties as table wine, including red, white, dry, sweet, sherry, etc., and it tends to be a fair bit cheaper than table wine.
However, you will be very disappointed if you try to drink cooking wine in any of these varieties. It’s designed to impart flavor to food, not directly to your glass.
Should I Use Cooking Wine or My Favorite Table Wine?
This is the big question, and if you dare go to Quora or Reddit and ask it, you will find two camps with strongly entrenched positions.
Some argue that cooking wine is made for cooking, not drinking, so get over the fact that it tastes pretty bad.
Others argue that you should not cook with wine you wouldn’t drink. T
Many chefs advise that you use wine from the same country as the nationality of the cuisine. It makes sense to use Japanese Mirin in Japanese cuisine, as well as Italian red wine in your pasta sauce.
But…why cook with wine?
Wine provides acidity, which helps tenderize meats and keep vegetables and fish tender while cooking. Of course, it also imparts flavor to your recipes, either savory (dry wines) or sweet, depending upon the type of wine and recipe. As wine cooks and the liquid component evaporates, the flavor becomes more concentrated and imparts its flavor to your cooking. So, the choice of wine is important.
Types of Cooking Wine
Dry Red and Dry White Wine
About: Dry White wine is the most commonly used wine in cooking, and if a recipe just says “wine” this would be the type to go with.
Best Dry Cooking White Wines: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, and Dry Marsala.
Uses:
- Poultry
- Seafood
- Cream Sauces
- Soups
- Stews
- Braised dishes
- Pan deglazing
- Risotto
- Chicken Marsala
- Veal Marsala
Veggies like:
- Eggplant
- Garlic
- Mushrooms
- Bell peppers
Types to Use: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir are our top recommendations. Honorable mention goes to Shiraz, Zinfandel, Bordeaux, and Boxed Red Wine (hey, many people have it readily available. Use it).
Uses:
- Wine reduction sauce
- Bourguignonne sauce
- Mediterranean cuisine in general
- Tenderizing meat
- Beef
- Duck
- Pork
- Lamb
- Tomato-based pasta sauce
- Hearty sauces, in general
Sweet White Wine
About: Many chefs do not like to cook with sweet white wines; they make recipes too sweet and only consider them for desserts. We agree with this assessment, though a nice butter sauce can be made with sweet wines. If a recipe calls for white wine, it is probably meant to be dry. Only use a sweet wine if it is specifically called for.
As sweet wines cook down in your dish, a heavy dose of residual sugar remains. This can complicate a savory recipe very quickly, but a dessert far less so.
Types to Use: Sweet white wines often used in cooking include late-harvest wines like Moscato (for the sweetest recipes), riesling, and Sauternes. There are many opinions on this list. Many chefs say not to use riesling, Moscato, or ice wines. We suggest simply considering how sweet you want the recipe to be.
Uses:
- Fruit tarts
- Fruit compotes
- Desserts like poached pears
- Sweet sauces
- Braised chicken
Butter sauces with:
- Fish
- Lobster
- Shrimp
Dry Nutty Wine (Oxidized)
About: The conventional wisdom for using any fortified or oxidized wine in cooking is to use only if the recipe spells out this type of wine. They tend to impart a lot of flavor to your cooking, and if you aren’t careful, it can be a flavor you don’t want.
Types to Use: Madeira, Vermouth, and Dry Sherry.
Uses:
- Mushroom gravy
- Chicken
- Pork
- Halibut
- Shrimp
Sweet Nutty Wine (Oxidized)
About: These wines are rather like the sweet white wine category. They are good for sweet desserts. The same advice applies to these as to dry, nutty wines. Only use these if the recipe calls for them specifically.
Types to Use: Cream Sherry, Tawny Port, and Malvasia.
Uses:
- Dessert sauces like caramel
- Most desserts with nuts
- Poured over Ice cream
Sweet Fortified Red Wine (Port)
About: Only use a port in a recipe that calls for it. Please don’t use it because you have had it in the fridge since Aunt Amy visited.
Types to Use: Ruby Port is the most commonly used port in cooking. It is fruitier than the tawny port we suggested above. Don’t cook with vintage port; save that for sipping.
Uses:
- Chocolate sauces
- Dessert sauces
- Chocolate cakes
- Port reduction syrup,
- Steaks with blue cheese recipes
- Beef Stew
Rice Wine
About: Mirin is the go-to Japanese rice wine for Japanese cuisine. It is a sweet rice wine made from glutinous mochi rice, koji (fermented rice), and Shochuy (sweet potato alcohol). There are, of course, other options, including Chinese rice wines Mijiu and Shaoxing, which are both heavily used in Chinese cuisine.
Uses:
- Asian BBQ (Mirin)
- Japanese cuisine (Mirin)
- Stir-Fries (Chinese rice wine)
- Marinades
- Dressings
- Soups
- Meat tenderizing
- Dumpling fillings
- Butter sauces
This wraps up our rather abbreviated look at cooking wine. After learning about cooking wines, we hope you feel more empowered to cook with wine! As always, follow the recipe, particularly if it is the first time you have tried it. Happy cooking from your friends at Live Eat Learn!
