Cooking With Wine

[gap]

I have just done a stock-take in the wine fridges and have noticed that I am almost out of wine that I have picked up cheaply for cooking with.

Not that it is necessarily “cheap wine”, I just got a bargain when I bought it.

Which has got me wondering (and seeing Crusty2’s post), who cooks with what and what price range is acceptable to tip into a pot?

The wines I have been using for the past 18 months are somewhere around $25 retail but purchased considerably cheaper and are a shiraz/cab and a merlot (both from Qld and very drinkable too – no smart comments from you southern centric mob). And then there’s been the odd fairly nasty bottle of white or red that has been left here by various guests and the occasional blunder that I’ve made when buying a mixed dozen.

And the unbelievably cheap case of white (can’t resist a bargain) that was the last of the vintage in stock at a cellar door which turned out to be even worse than the cellar door manager said it was and I am now using to experiment with in vinegar making.

I know that many chefs say that you shouldn’t use anything in cooking that you wouldn’t normally drink but, I am going to get a lot more pleasure in drinking a $30-$40 bottle of wine than using it to cook with.

[maybs]

Depends what I am cooking and how much wine I need. If I need half or a full bottle it will usually be something I have picked up for $20 to $30 (although most of a $60 of sherry went into some beef cheeks recently). If I just need a splash or a cup it will usually be whatever I am drinking whilst cooking which could be anything.

[winetastic]

Usually cook with something around the $10-20 mark (mount pleasant elizabeth semillon for example), sometimes if the recipe only calls for a modest quantity, ill open up something significantly better and drink the rest with the meal.

I once made a bolognese with almost an entire $50 bottle of hunter shiraz, it was incredible.

[Willard]

If I need a whole bottle, I would usually cook with something fairly cheap, around or under $10. Usually something commercial, fruit forward, low oak, softer tannins, but med/full body. Something presentable, but no matter if it doesn't have length or polish.

If I need only a half-cup or so, I'd usually use whatever I'm drinking at the time so likely more expensive.

If I'm cooking a stew or oxtail or something, might use Club port or a $10-$15 Muscat or PX. I've often got a Tokay in the fridge so a splash of that might go in.

I'll have to try one of these meals with a $50-$60 bottle of something! Maybe for a dinner party.

[Polymer]

I know that many chefs say that you shouldn’t use anything in cooking that you wouldn’t normally drink but, I am going to get a lot more pleasure in drinking a $30-$40 bottle of wine than using it to cook with.

That applies to the normal wine drinking public.

I wouldn't want to use something absolutely terrible...Something cheap but drinkable...

[catchnrelease]

Cheap but drinkable is the go. Sinking $30 on cooking wine - no way!

Angove Long Row series is good, or some of the De Bortoli Vat series wines from good vintages.

[Bobthebuilder]

I usually grab bottles that retail around the $15 - 25 mark, from auction at $5 - 10.
I drink them too, because as much as I'd like to be able to drink and cook with $50 + bottles every night, I cant!

[paulf]

I don't buy wine specifically for cooking. If I am going to be using a good chunk of a bottle then as a general rule I don't want to go much over $15.
Most recently, for white I've been using the Knappstein hand picked riesling which I picked up well under $15 and I'm happy to drink as a quaffer.
For Reds, It has either been the Leconfield Warners corner (which I think I bought for $16ish) or some Portuguese red I picked up at auction for a stupid price.
Most lately I've been pickling things.

If I was buying specifically for cooking, I'd be looking for wines that have low or no oak treatment - particularly when the wine is going to be reduced in something like a stock or sauce. Heavily oaked wines will often result in some undesirable astringency coming through if they are reduced much.

[sjw_11]

Im the same as most here... If I wanted to cook a mid-week red wine beef stew/coq au vin type dish that needed a bottle it would be a punch above its weight $8-12/bottle (e.g. Houghtons red stripe on special in Oz, or whatever Tesco sells at £6 over here)

If I was really trying to impress I might step it up to the next level.

If I just need a splash of red wine for a bolognese or to de-glaze a steak pan etc then I just use whatever I am drinking.

[tunetown]

I love cooking with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

[grb2001]

'61 Latour is my standard cooking wine, and '71 Grange when I need a barby red.