MAIN Home Life Entertaining Wine Cooking with Wine

Cooking with wine began with the Greeks and Romans and was an equal favorite of cooks in the Middle Ages.

It remained a popular practice well into the 17th century England, when it was merrily transported to Colonial America.

Today, cooking with wine is an easy way to add a 'kick' to otherwise ordinary, everyday dishes and adds a nuanced, sophisticated flavor that's difficult to arrive at by just adding a favorite herb or spice.

Adding white wine to any chicken or fish dish help to keep it moist while cooking. Red wine also brings out the flavor in meat dishes, and is a common ingredient in marinades. In fact, any dish you're making will probably benefit from a splash of wine. For certain cakes, sherry is an ingredient that adds a heady flavor while helping to lighten its texture.

As food author Morrison Wood once famously said, "It is, of course, entirely possible to cook without using wine. It is also possible to wear suits and dresses made out of gunny sacks, but who wants to?"

For more information on cooking with wine, check out expert guides on the subject featuring recipes & complete instructions for traditional recipes, along with novel and surprising ways to cook with wine...

The Nuances of Cooking with Wine - A good primer with a discussion on wine/cooking interactions, choosing a cooking wine, marinating, deglazing and finishing, plus a handful of recipes to get you fired up...

Ask Don and Diane: Cooking with Wine, Part I - A sommelier couple as your guide to the subject with general expert advice on flavoring or marinading with wine, and more about maceration (steeping fruit in wine - think Sangria) in Part II.

Cooking with Wine - Excellent guide to making sauces and reductions, Q&A, wine pairing information, and related recipes.

Homecraft Wine & Brew - Cooking with Wine - Easy to make dishes including garlic and white wine sauce, Chardonnay chicken, salmon de Provence, sole with white wine and more.

Fine Living - Cooking with Wine - From the online edition of the TV network featuring their suggestions of top books on the subject, with mini-reviews, prices and links to where you can purchase online.

also see related articles -> Wine with Turkey | Wine with Lamb

Red Wine & Barbecue | How to Pick a Good Wine

also see -> Champagne | Wine Classes | Wine & Food Pairing

Port & Sherry | Sparkling Wines | Wine Party Ideas