The Corkscrew | Cooking with wine: the dos and don’ts
Never cook with a wine that isn’t good enough to drink – and other tips on how to use vino effectively
Wine is often used in cooking as a component of classic sauces.
The acidity in wine adds tartness, the residual sugars contribute sweetness and the drink’s flavours and aromas give varying degrees of savouriness. When reduced by cooking, all of these become more concentrated. If red wine is cooked on its own, the tannins can become astringent, which is why it is usually reduced with a meat stock, to balance the flavours. Many chefs believe a gentle simmer, rather than a fast boil, makes a better sauce.
Many classic French dishes feature wine. Bourguignonne has its base in red burgundy simmered with shallots and a stock made from beef bones and a mirepoix (carrot, onion, celery). Bordelaise sauce uses a Bordeaux red wine and demi-glace, a rich beef stock reduced to a thick syrupy consistency.
White wine sauces are, of course, lighter than those based on reds. A basic white wine sauce is made by simmering the wine with shallots and herbs (such as thyme, chervil and tarragon) until it is reduced to about a quarter of the liquid’s original volume, then unsalted butter is whisked in to add richness and give it a velvety smoothness. Cream or crème fraîche can be added instead of butter. Sauce Lyonnaise uses basically the same ingredients but with a dash of white wine vinegar, to give it tanginess. This simple sauce is used to dress chicken and grilled fish.