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Saturday, September 4, 2010

Sip as You Stir



When the topic of food and wine arises during one of my wine classes, the usual flow of conversation revolves around what wine to drink with dinner. Yet sometimes the tougher decision is what wine to put in dinner. That's because when listed as an ingredient, wine is often suggested in the most generic terms, and you're left to wonder - will any wine do? But there is more to cooking with wine than using up last night's leftovers. Take a look at my top 10 tips.

1. Leftover Wine - As a general rule, never cook with any wine you would not drink. The month old leftovers in the refrigerator won’t do. 
Any off flavors in wine become more concentrated during cooking.
2. Cooking Wine - Avoid using these all together. They are made of a thin, cheap base wine to which salt and food coloring have been added.
3. Dry White Wine - If a recipe calls for dry white wine, the best all-around choice is an American Sauvignon Blanc. This wine will be dry and offer a fresh light herbal note that will enhance nearly any dish.
4. Aromatic White Wine - If the dish has bold or spicy flavors, go for a more aromatic white wine such as Gewurztraminer, Riesling, or Viognier. These wines have fruity flavors and exotic floral aromas that counterbalance heavily spiced dishes.
5. Dry Red Wine - If a recipe calls for dry red wine, consider the heartiness of the dish. A long-simmered meat dish calls for a correspondingly hearty wine, such as a Zinfandel. A lighter dish might call for a less powerful red such as Pinot Noir.
6. Sparkling Wine – When you cook sparkling wine, you eliminate its primary qualities, bubbles and alcohol. However, a simple beurre blanc sauce can benefit from the two remaining qualities of a good sparkler; high acidity and yeast flavor.
Fortified wines are among the best wines good cooks can have on hand. They pack the most intense flavors and with the added alcohol have the longest shelf life.
7. Port - Ruby port is probably the best for cooking. It has a rich sweetness and depth that's especially good in meat-based casseroles. Port is powerful stuff and should be used in modest amounts.
8. Sherry – True Spanish Sherry adds considerable character to a dish. It’s complex roasted nutty flavors can enhance just about any soup, stew, or sautéed dish. The two styles of Sherry that work best are Amontillado or Oloroso.
9. Madeira - There is no good substitute when a recipe calls for Madeira. It’s lush toffee-caramel notes are hard to replace. Madeira sauces have an affinity for beef, game, and mushroom dishes.
10. Marsala – This Sicilian wine is a staple in southern Italian cooking. Marsala comes in both dry and sweet styles. Seek out the sweeter, richer style for cooking.
There's no better way to spend an evening than creating a delicious dish while sipping a well-made wine for inspiration.