The Type Of Wine You Should Reach For When Cooking

The world of wine can be an arduous land to trek. In addition to a lengthy catalog of descriptive terms, many factors can affect a wine and its qualities. Just as choosing the perfect wine to complement a dish is of utmost importance to maximize the tasting experience, selecting the correct type to cook with is equally significant.

Whether red or white, dry wine is the best type of wine to use when cooking. Dry is the term for wines that are fermented for longer periods to remove as much sugar as possible. Dry wines are ideal for cooking because they are less sweet and more acidic, which is particularly useful for deglazing. They also have a strong structure, meaning the wine relays a bold flavor, which is ideal in savory dishes.

If you're cooking on a whim and all you have is an open bottle of rosé, you could still use it to deglaze a pan after sautéing onions. However, in cases where a wine is introduced to create a reduction or braise, following the recipe more strictly is important.

Though the presence of tannins in wine leaves a puckering dryness in the mouth, this parched feeling is different from the definition of dry.

For reds, a merlot tends to be dry, as does a sauvignon blanc for white wines, although reading the label or a quick taste test will determine if it's a fruit-forward wine, which is sweeter and less dry. The presence of other flavors, such as oak, chocolate, or less-sweet fruits, are indicators of a dry wine. Aged or more valuable vintages tend to be drier, but you don't need to use a high-quality bottle in cooking. However, using a bottle you enjoy is important because a wine will impart its flavor into a dish.

While it can be harder to exchange red wine in a recipe, there are a few useful substitutes for white wine. Because wine's high acidity makes it a beautiful addition to many recipes, other liquids high in acid are good substitutes, like vinegar or citrus juices.