4 Tips for Cooking with White Wine

The use of white wine for cooking began in the ancient times with the Greeks and then the Romans. Then, the ancients developed tasty recipes with wine as a major ingredient. Nowadays, cooking with wine is an easy and popular way to add sophisticated flavor to ordinary dishes. Today white wine is commonly used to create marinades and sauces and even in baking cakes and cookies.

Tip 1: Use to Marinate Seafood, Vegetables and Chicken

Adding white wine to any white meat (i.e. chicken) or fish (including all seafood) will help to keep it juicy while cooking. Besides, you can use wine to marinate vegetables and cheese. These marinated dishes have a delicate flavor and combine well with other stronger spices. 

Tip 2: Be Careful with Wine Aroma Itself

Given the fact that wine tastes and flavors vary a lot, you should be careful when combining the blend and aroma with the rest of the spices and meal itself. Most white wines have fresh, delicate and herby or fruity aroma. However, the four top-ranking varieties used for cooking are Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling. Pinot Gris and Riesling are recommended when cooking seafood. Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are preferred for chicken and poultry. Chardonnay is also suitable for cooking gravy.

Tip 3: Use for Making Sauces

The great taste of many dishes is often attained by adding a sauce. Hollandaise and béarnaise take on an added richness if a tablespoon of quality white wine is added. Try adding a tablespoon of white wine to creamy and milky sauces and sauces based on eggs. Another good idea is to add some white wine to gravy and serve it in a separate plate to accompany the main dish. 

Tip 4: Make It Sweet

Using white wine as an ingredient is not restricted to main dishes and sauces. You can use various dry and sweet wines to prepare tasty cookies and cakes. The whine acidity will soften excessively sweet or sugary tastes, adding a blend of the preferred fruit or herbal aroma. White wines are also suitable for fruit punches and refreshing sweet cocktails. 

General Tips when Cooking with White Wine

Be careful with the amount: too much wine can add a vapid flavor while too little may not bring the desired effect. If you do not have white wine at home, you might use lemon juice or vinegar instead. However, they cannot give the same flavor and, if too much is used, the dish may turn sour. Always put the leftover wine in the refrigerator and use it within 2 weeks. Another golden rule is to choose the white wines that you  enjoy drinking. Thus, if you forgot to put your little magic spoon of white wine in the dish, you can drink the some of the wine while dining.