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The art of cooking with wine
There are several good reasons to use wine in cooking – and we don’t just mean drinking it while you cook!
The right wine can be an excellent addition to a dish, adding deeper flavours and a rich texture that makes you want more. Wine can also make heavy dishes feel lighter or help balance the dish, creating delicious mouthfuls that taste complete.
Read on to learn more about cooking with wine.
Why use wine in your cooking?
Wine makes food taste better in ways that water or broth cannot. It adds deeper flavours to cooking.
But wine doesn’t just stop at flavour.
Its natural acidity makes it an excellent tenderiser. It works its magic by breaking down tough proteins and fibres, creating dishes with unbeatable tenderness and a ‘melt in your mouth’ quality.
Wine also helps keep slow-cooked ingredients like sauces, stews or tougher cuts of meat juicy and moist, preventing them from drying out during cooking.
Many home cooks wonder about wine’s alcohol content when cooking with it – so what happens to it?
The amount of alcohol in your finished dish depends on how you’ve cooked it.
Some alcohol burns off or evaporates during cooking.
The remaining amount depends on your cooking method, pot size, what you’re cooking, and how long you cook it.
Despite what many think, not all alcohol evaporates during cooking – even after simmering for 2-3 hours, some alcohol can remain in the dish.
How to use wine in cooking
There are many ways to cook with wine. Here are some ideas:
Marinating
Marinating means soaking food in a tasty liquid or sauce before cooking.
If you add wine to your marinade, its natural acidity can help tenderise tough meats and allow them to soak up the marinade’s flavours more effectively.
Deglazing
Deglazing is a simple way to transform the residue in your pan into a treasure trove of flavour. After cooking, add a splash of wine to the hot pan to loosen up the caramelised bits stuck to the bottom.
This process not only cleans the pan, but also creates a flavourful base for sauces or gravies.
Braising
Braising is an excellent, low-effort cooking technique that rewards you with intensely flavourful and tender dishes.
It starts with a quick sear of meat or vegetables over high heat, followed by a slow simmer in a small amount of liquid. Wine is an excellent choice for this simmering stage.
The wine’s natural acidity works magic on tough proteins or fibres, breaking them down and leaving you with a dish packed with flavour. Slow-cooked lamb shanks with red wine are a perfect example of this technique.
Stews and sauces
Adding a splash of wine to soups, stews, sauces and gravies adds an extra burst of flavour. It works to balance and brighten, turning a good dish into a great one with just a simple glug or two.
Steaming
Using wine in steam cooking is a gentle way to infuse your dishes with nuanced flavours. As the wine evaporates, it envelops the food with moist heat, enhancing and highlighting your ingredients’ natural sweetness and freshness, whether you’re steaming seafood, poultry or veg.
This method maintains the integrity of the food while adding a sophisticated layer of flavour.
Poaching
Poaching is the go-to technique for handling more delicate ingredients, like fish and poultry.
Cooking your ingredients in liquid at a very low temperature leads to tenderness with a subtle flavour infusion. When wine is used as the poaching liquid, it boosts the sweetness in your food and adds a gentle flavour, plus, in some recipes, a touch of colour.
A classic dessert like pears poached in red wine is a good example of this technique – the fruit absorbs the wine’s colour and flavour while maintaining its delicate texture.
Baking and desserts
Did you know that wine can be used in some baking recipes? It can replace some of the fat in cakes and pastries, creating a lighter final dish. Wine works best in recipes where its flavours complement the other ingredients.
For example, wine adds a layer of flavour that makes desserts like chocolate cakes and brownies richer and more decadent.
A fruity Shiraz works beautifully with chocolate, while a sweet Riesling can pair well with citrus or stone fruit desserts.
It’s also perfect for making caramel, fudge and fruit sauces, and it helps to maintain the texture of puddings, adding a touch of indulgence to your sweet treats.
Cooking with white wine
White wine adds freshness and elegance to lighter dishes.
It’s a natural fit for seafood and poultry, where its bright acidity enhances delicate flavours without overpowering them.
A Sauvignon Blanc or lightly oaked Chardonnay is ideal for deglazing pans, creating deeper sauces or poaching shellfish, as they add a subtle yet sophisticated layer of flavour.
These wines also work well in risottos, lifting them with a hint of freshness from their citrus and fresh herb flavours that balance out the creamy richness.
Discover our full selection of white wines.
Cooking with red wine
Red wine is perfect for hearty dishes, making meats and sauces taste deeper and richer.
The acidity in a red like a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon helps to tenderise tougher cuts of meat used in dishes such as lamb stew, while its tannins add structure and depth to the overall dish.
Wines with vibrant fruit flavours can work very well with meat dishes. For example, a McLaren Vale Grenache can work wonderfully in a hearty beef casserole, while a cooler-climate Pinot Noir from Yarra Valley is perfect for lighter game dishes.
These wines also work beautifully in reductions or sauces, lending an earthy, fruity complexity. A splash of Shiraz can transform a simple tomato sauce into something extraordinary, adding warmth and depth that pairs well with pasta or roasted meats.
Cooking with fortified wine
Fortified wines like Port, Sherry and Marsala add depth and complexity to dishes. Their concentrated flavours and sweetness make them perfect for rich sauces and decadent desserts.
Marsala is famously used in chicken Marsala, where its nutty sweetness enhances the dish’s savoury notes. Sherry can be used in cream-based sauces or soups, adding a touch of warmth and a unique, layered flavour.
Meanwhile, Port is excellent for creating rich reductions and complementing chocolate-based desserts, adding a luxurious finish. Alternatively, try a Tawny Port from South Australia in rich meat reductions.
Using sparkling wine in cooking
Sparkling wine isn’t just for celebrations – it can add a delightful fizz and subtle flavour to lighter dishes and desserts.
While we’d never suggest cooking with your finest bottle, leftover Prosecco or Australian sparkling wine works wonderfully in the kitchen.
Sparkling wine works beautifully in light, elegant dishes, such as a beurre blanc sauce for fish or seafood, where its acidity and bubbles enhance their freshness. It can also be used in batters for a light, crispy finish – perfect for tempura or fritters.
It also adds a touch of sophistication to desserts like poached pears and fruit jellies, where its gentle fizz and fruity notes create a refreshing contrast.
Wine tips – what to do with leftover wine
Your meal is perfect, and every plate is clean, but there’s still some wine left in the bottle. When stored properly in the fridge, leftover wine should ideally be consumed within 3-5 days. But what else can you do with it?
Here are a few ideas:
Freeze into ice cubes to keep future glasses of wine chilled or to add to future dishes for easy cooking.
Reduce it over low heat to create a rich syrup that can be drizzled over desserts or glaze roasted meats.
Whip up an easy wine cocktail – a glass of Sangria or a Champagne cocktail can make any occasion feel special.
Shop our full selection of premium wines.
