Wine?

[daddyzaring]

Can anyone tell me if there is too big of a difference in wine brands if I am just using it for cooking? I am planning on making a pasta sauce from scratch, and I got a 2 year old bottle of Robert Mondavi Private Selection Merlot. I've never really cared for wine, as far as drinking, but I thought Id see if anyone was familar with this wine, or at least might know if it would be good enough to use in my pasta sauce? ty

 

[mythmaster]

Even a box wine is OK for cooking! That will work just fine.

 

[nbbd]

NEVER ... NEVER cook with a wine you wouldnt drink...

your better off adding some balsamic vinegar etc... bad wine will make bad sauce, if ou dont like the taste why use it?

 

[mythmaster]

I'm drinking a box Merlot right now!

You're absolutely right, though.

 

[daddyzaring]

I perfer to eat my alcohol. lol I don't know that it is a bad wine, as far as I know or don't know, I may have never had a good wine to know.

 

[nbbd]

I used to be the same! but then I met my father in law who schooled me in wine. and my wifes gmother (off the boat italian) who taught me about gravy making...

 

[mythmaster]

Here's a review of said wine: http://www.cheapwineguy.com/merlot/r...on-merlot.html

 

[meateater]

Cook with what you would drink.

 

[daddyzaring]

Problem is I really don't drink anymore. I use more alcohol in food than I drink, and I don't get very many chances to cook with it. I'll put it this way, I bought a six pack of Bud long necks over six months ago, and I still haven't finished it, I still have one or two bottles left. lol

 

[bbally]

We drink about a half a case a week. Lots of wine... wine is very good... but you have to extract the snobbery from the facts.

Drinkable is a term that is non defined. Drinkable to some is very high priced wine. It has been my experience that people who quote high priced labels and demand it be cooked with are retarded and usually so poor they can not afford the wine they quote.

Here is the logic, it you can afford to stock Penfolds Grange 1998 through 2005 you love the wine. (I am a Grange collector, though I drink it instead of looking at it in the wine cellar) If you have ever drank this wine you would kill any idiot that says you should cook with it. It proves they have not one single iota of sense about the proper use of wines.

Fine wines are meant only to drink.....

While I agree that one should not cook with a wine that is terrible, there is every reason to cook with 2 buck chuck, Franzia, and any other decent drinkable low end box wine. We are using wine for depth of the sauce.. the gravy or the deglazing.... so when someone tells you they cook with a $40 bottle of wine... tell them they are an idiot... you will be correct and they have already proven they no nothing about wines use.

Solid box wines and most bottle wines between $7 and $11 dollars are all you need for good cooking wine.

 

[nbbd]

Aye ! as long as the flavor is good to the end consumer...

wine snobery is a funny thing... I enjoy fine wines and ports MORE since ive been edumacted in it BUT still find more "low end booze" fits my flavor palate bc it doesnt need to be explained in "crisp berry aromas with a bunch of BS mixed in terms..." If its good its GOOD...

If you dont want to drink it dont cook with it!

(OH yea bTW Flyers won tonight! YOU gotaa believe!)

 

[kansasqueball]

I always say that the best wines come in a box, or with a screw on cap! LOL!

 

[john3198]

The Mondavi will be fine for your pasta sauce. Like bbaly said, don't use expensive wine to cook with, but I don't use junk either.

 

[jirodriguez]

I have migrated to a lot of the Australian wines for every day cooking. Usually run between $5 & 7$ a bottle, and actually taste good as well. I find I prefer to use the Aussie Shiraz over Merlot or Cabb now... lol.

 

[Dutch]

The ones to avoid are the ones labled as a "cooking wine"-they are loaded with extra sodium that you don't need. Just stick with a good inexpensive bottle of vino.

 

[chefrob]

that is a good range to stick to........also you kinda touched on it with the shiraz over merlot or cab. what i think is more important than the cost is the varietal matched up with the dish. for me, some match ups that i like are chix/chard, seafood/sav blanc, tomato/cab, lamb-pork/merlot. again these are not set in stone and it all depends on the spice/sauce used as well as the nuances of a particular wine.