For the wine lover, cooking with wine can often mean pouring yourself a glass or two as you cook at the stove. However, there is a lot more you can do with wine in the kitchen! Using wine in your food can be a great way to use bottles from your wine cellar, but getting it right can be a challenge. Take a look at some of our cooking with wine tips to get you started in the kitchen.

Use Wines That You Enjoy

If you don’t like the wine to drink, you are unlikely to like it when it is in your food! Start off with a wine that you really enjoy to create a meal that you will love. Although the alcohol evaporates during cooking, the flavour added to the dish can be fantastic, so pick a wine you love.

Don’t Use Cooking Wine

You can purchase cooking wine which is made for the sole purpose of being used in cooking. However, these wines tend to be high in salt and are often rather poor in quality. As stated earlier, you should use a wine you enjoy, so cooking wine is often a bad choice.

Be Aware of Clashing Ingredients

Some wines have a high content of tannins, acids, and sugars so it is inadvisable to use ingredients that have a similar palate. Lemon juice and vinegar will not sit well with wine in a dish so be aware of the other ingredients being used.

Add Wine at the Right Time

Adding wine at the right time is essential when cooking. Add it too late and you’ll end with a harsh flavour as the alcohol does not have time to evaporate. Allow the wine time to simmer in the dish so it can soak up the rich flavours and leave 10 minutes after adding wine before choosing to add any more.

Use Wine to Sauté

There are many ways in which you can use your wine, one of which is to add flavour as you sauté vegetables. Use 6 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and heat in a pan with around 4 cloves of crushed garlic. Add your chosen vegetables then gradually add 235ml of dry white wine.

Match Your Cooking to Your Drinking

Using white wine will give a very different result compared to using red wine. If you are unsure of which wine you should use in your dish, think about which wine you would be most likely to drink with the meal. For example, rich, creamy dishes would pair best with a white wine, whereas deep, tomato based dishes often suit a red wine best.

Wine is an incredibly versatile ingredient when used in cooking, you just have to know how to use it! As long as you have a well-stocked Spiral Cellar, you will have plenty of opportunities to experiment and perfect your skills. If you would like to find out more about our wine room design options, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with a member of our friendly team. Simply call 0203 815 3329 and we will be happy to advise you further.

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