Deciding On Which Wine to Cook With....

So I've been on this kick to cook and become more efficient and knowledgeable in the kitchen.

Last night I made Beefy Cheesy Spinach Casatta. Came out pretty good for my first go round.

It does call for a 1/4 cup of white wine.

How do you decide which wine to go with? I went with Reisling, just because it's something I never buy. Next time I'm going to go with Chardonay.

But, whether it's white or red you're cooking with how do you decide which one to go with?

 

the rule of thumb I subscribe to is don't cook with any wine I wouldn't drink. I have also found that for cooking, drier wines are usually better than sweeter ones (you found this out already based on your switch from Reisling to Chardonnay).

For the money, my favorite red wine to cook with is a blended non-vintage red called "Paisano". It costs like $14 for a gallon jug, but tastes surprisingly good and makes a dynamite add to anything with tomatoes in it.

Gio P

 

Usually it will be what ever wine I was drinking before I started cooking- hate to change wines in the middle of the afternoon. (somebody was going to say, I was just the first)

 

Depends on the flavors in the dish, how much wine is required, and to some extant who I'm cooking for.

If I'm making coq au vin for me and the missus I'll use burgundy or pinot noir from a box.

Last night I made risotto for my wife and 3 of her cute friends, so splurged on a $9 bottle of Estancia Pinot Grigio. Good result, nice acidity but maybe a bit too fruity.
Would have used dry vermouth but my bottle has been hanging around the fridge for too long. Need to drink more martinis It probably would have been ok but the recipe only needed 1/2c so had the rest of the bottle left over to drink. Serving the same wine used in a dish is cool, they complement each other of course.

Is this recipe similar to how you made your "Beefy Cheesy Spinach Casatta"?
http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1726,153186-239205,00.html

Pretty complex preparation! Sounds yummy.

 

....what he said....

 

Agreed. I wouldn't go for a Riesling (and I enjoy them,) simply because I would not care to add unwanted sweetness (remember: cooking=concentration)

 

I cook all the time ... I would recommend a Chablis as a good basic cooking wine. it's rather light but does not have the woody Chardonnay flavor and the sour/ acid from Riesling.... that being said - I do follow the rule of cooking with what I drink. For cooking I try to stick with wines from Burgandy... I think one of the best and cheapest cooking wines is Beaujolais... especially when you get it in the summer ... I go for the fruit.

when you heat wine you not only evaporate all the alcohol, but also the thiolins change, and produce a more mellow flavor.

Also look at using port in lieu of wine... for a nuttier flavor goes well with meats.

 

For white I tend to use this:

http://www.snooth.com/wine/pine-ridge-chenin-blanc-viognier-2008-1/

 

That's the one. Although the timing is different. The recipe I have says 350 degree for 35 minutes, followed by additional 10 minutes and let stand for 10 minutes.

I'm going to have to try coq au vin. What sort of pot do you use for it? I have a "regular" pot which I'm assuming is fine, but was curious if something else may be better.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and opinions.

 

I've used a non-stick roasting pan, glass or ceramic baking dish. Don't think it matters too much which one (as long as it's deep enough to contain some bubbling) but I'd stay away from aluminum, copper or uncoated cast iron:
http://www.foodreference.com/html/a-cooking-wwine2.html
You can also made it just on the stove-top, simmering in a deep pot.

Once in my new kitchen I'll be acquiring some le creuset bakeware.
Right now my only LC is used for kosher salt:
http://s180.photobucket.com/albums/x155/kedelbach/Knoedel%20and%20Schnitzel%20abend/?action=view&current=10.jpg

We keep meaning to find a real butcher to get a proper "stewing" chicken (older, leaner, more sinewy and flavorful) as this is the tradional type used in France. But even supermarket thighs/legs taste superb.

Be sure to have fresh baguette to sop up gravy, and make a lot.
Leftovers just get better after a few days.
Julia's recipe is a great place to start:
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/recipe?id=7113750
Great now I'm hungry

 

Invest in a nice dutch oven. They come in different sizes, so we have a few so we can pick on choose based on the amount of food we are cooking.

As for cooking with wine, I suggest you take advantage of learning about wine. I don't mean go overboard, but get a general idea of what is what. Learn some flavor profiles of what you enjoy to drink.

Riesling can be fruity and occasionally on the off-dry style (sweet).
Chardonnays from Burgundy can be dry with a nice mouth feel, while a chardonnay from the US can show buttered popcorn and heavy oak flavors.
It goes on and on.

For your coq au vin, think about where the dish is from...France. Pick a wine that would characteristic of that region. In this case, depending on my mood, I would consider Cabernet, Merlot, or a big Pinot Noir.

If I'm going for a spicey, heady dish, I would look to Zinfandel, Syrah of Mouvedre.

As others have stated, if you are not willing to drink it, do NOT cook with it. Remember that cooking it intensifies the flavors. Especially if you are doing a big time reduction.

If you are interested in learning something about wine, I recommend the Wine For Dummies book. The big one, not the Red or White.

Finally, the best way to learn wine is to drink it and while doing so, learn to become a smeller. By that I mean you need to take advantage of smelling everything.
Blueberries, strawberry preserves, wet dog, raw meat, citrus, fresh cut grass, etc. This will help you build your palette which comes from sense of smell.

Good luck! We love to cook with wine at home. Best part is making sure the cook enjoys a glass while working away on a great meal.

 

That's the recipe I found!

Thanks for all that info.

I'm not necessarily a conissieur of wine, but I'm not a novice. I enjoy wine quite a bit. Started drinking them in college and upon graduating my parents bought me a TON of various wines both types and brands.

For red I'm typically a cab guy and white chard.

Thanks for all the great info too!

 

I usually go with the drier wines for cooking, but in reality it's whatever is the cheapest.

 

Correct, and never use the bottled cooking wine. On the whites I would suggest a dry wine.