Cooking ProTip: Why You Should Never Cook With Cooking Wine

Gourmandize Staff, 08/21/2017

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Only cook with wine you would drink — if Julia Child swears by this rule, so should you.

The Secret's In The Bottle

Wine can be an important addition to countless dishes. The various components of wine, from the alcohol to the aromas, can elevate your meats and sauces to a whole new level. As the wine you use will enhance the flavor of your dish, it's important to choose the right one.

That brings us to the cardinal rule: never use cooking wines. Cooking wines contain salt, which can make your food taste too bitter. They also contain less alcohol and less flavor than drinkable wines. And, as Julia Child once said, “If you do not have a good wine to use, it is far better to omit it, for a poor one can spoil a simple dish and utterly debase a noble one.”

What to use instead:

Bear in mind that you don't have to use expensive wines to make a good meal. However, you should still cook with reasonably priced, yet good quality wine that you would also drink. The most versatile wine would be a dry, crisp white wine (think Pinot Grigio or Sauvingon Blanc). You should also cook with dry, fruity reds such as Merlot.

Wanna become a master chef? Find out the key ingredient you should be adding to your soups and stews.