Cooking with Red Wine

Cooking with wine is a great way to enhance a meal. Red wine brings richness and complexity to all sorts of dishes, from savory meats to roasted veggies or luxurious desserts. And while the results are stunning, the process is simple with Betty by your side!

 Whether you’re a seasoned home cook or a beginner in the kitchen, cooking with red wine can elevate your dishes, adding robust taste, balancing flavors, and enriching the aroma. That’s a big win in our cookbook. To get you started, we’ve put together some helpful tips and tricks for everything from picking the best red wine to cook with to pulling together different sauces and reductions.

Step into a liquor store or wine aisle, and you’ll see dozens of options. But which is the best red wine to cook with? The main thing to keep in mind when picking out a wine is that different varietals have different flavor profiles, which will affect the taste of your dish. Cooking with wine concentrates those flavors, so you’ll want to start with something that you already enjoy. Here are just a few types of red wine that we love cooking with.

Cabernet Sauvignon: This full-bodied wine features noticeable acidity and dark fruit flavors like black currant, plum, and black cherry.

Pinot Noir: This lighter, more delicate wine typically features red fruit flavors like raspberry and strawberry.

Zinfandel: If you love hearty, flavorful dishes, this bold red wine is a great pick.

Merlot: Mild and fruity, Merlot brings flavors of cherry, chocolate, and plum to a dish.

Acidity and tannins also play a part in determining the overall effect of a wine on your cooking. The acidity in wine acts similarly to ingredients like lemon juice or vinegar, brightening a dish and balancing out richness. We’d choose a more acidic wine to contrast fatty meat and keep a dish from becoming too heavy. Tannins, the natural compounds found in grape skins, seeds and stems, add astringency and structure to a wine. Red wines that are high in tannins can become too bitter when used in cooking, but wines with moderate tannins can add depth and complexity.

Finally, when it comes to price, take our advice: never spend more than about $18! Cooking with wine shouldn’t be expensive, and pricier bottles won’t make much of a difference. As long as you choose a wine that fits the recipe and that you already enjoy the taste of, you’ll end up with delicious results. We’d also recommend skipping the cooking wine in the grocery store. Though affordable, you wouldn’t drink it—which means you shouldn’t cook with it, either! Have your eye on a nice white wine? We’ve got you covered with even more tips for cooking with wine.

Once you’ve picked out a wine, you’re ready to get cooking. Here’s a quick overview of some of the most popular techniques for cooking with red wine.

Deglazing: After searing meat or other ingredients like butter and shallots in a pan, a splash of red wine loosens the caramelized bits stuck to the bottom. These bits are called fond, and these caramelized pieces will add so much flavor when paired with your red wine! So, scrape those up, and combine with the wine to produce a rich, flavorful sauce for your dish.

Marinating: Red wine forms the base of a tasty marinade. Add herbs, garlic, and olive oil, then let your chosen protein or veggie soak it all in. This technique for infusing richness tenderizes and flavors meats, vegetables, and more for a mouthwatering dish.

Braising: Sear meat at a high temperature, then cook it slowly in a small amount of red wine for amazingly tender results with deep flavor.

Reducing: Simmer wine with aromatics like onions, garlic, and herbs until it thickens into a luscious sauce. As the liquid evaporates and the ethanol cooks off, you’re left with concentrated flavor that will have everyone clamoring for your secret recipe.

Creating sauces and reductions is one of our favorite ways to cook with red wine because it’s such a versatile technique. All you need are a few ingredients, and you can make a sweet or savory sauce that pairs perfectly with rich meats and hearty vegetables—or even desserts!

The overall process is relatively straightforward. Generally, you’ll sauté aromatics like garlic and shallots in butter until they soften and have your kitchen smelling fragrant. Add your red wine and simmer until the liquid in your pan has reduced by half to create a concentrated, flavorful sauce. Add stock and continue reducing until your sauce thickens. And there you have it: a versatile sauce or reduction that you can customize to your liking by choosing a wine that complements your dish of choice. Grab a bottle of your favorite red, and give one of these tasty sauces a try.

Red Wine Demi-Glace: Reduce red wine with your aromatics and mix it with demi-glace (a rich, concentrated beef or veal stock) to create a glossy, velvety sauce with an almost syrup-like consistency and deep, savory flavor. This sophisticated sauce is used in many French dishes and as a finishing sauce. Drizzle it over steak, roasted lamb, and other meats to add depth and deliciousness.

Port Wine Sauce: Savory meets sweet. Port wine sauce brings the best of both worlds! Make this rich, slightly tangy sauce by sauteing shallots in butter, deglazing the pan with the classic dessert wine and reducing your sauce alongside beef stock and herbs. Using port wine gives this sauce a subtle sweetness that balances nicely with savory elements for a well-rounded flavor profile. Pair it with grilled or roasted meats or drizzle it over earthy roasted vegetables like carrots or butternut squash.

Red Wine Jus: Keep things light but flavorful with a red wine jus. Au jus is a thin, tasty sauce made with meat stock or juices from cooking. Reducing red wine alongside beef or veal stock creates a concentrated, complexly flavored version with layers of both fruitiness and earthiness. Shallots, garlic, and fresh herbs add even more delicious flavor. We love serving this classic French sauce with steak dishes or tender roast beef, but it’s equally delicious paired with veggie-forward options like grilled portobello mushrooms!

If you don’t have a specific recipe in mind, you might be wondering what to cook with red wine. We’re all about experimenting in the kitchen, but we’ve got a few ideas to get you started. From tender roasted meats to seasoned veggie dishes and rich desserts, there are plenty of ways to incorporate red wine into your cooking.

Meats: Whether it’s making a delicious sauce or reduction or going straight to simmering, red meats are the classic choice for cooking with red wine. The strong, bold flavors of meats like beef and veal pair perfectly with the complex profiles and intensity of many red wines. Try a warm beef stew when the temperatures dip or a succulent steak for a special occasion. All that being said, other meats like chicken are fair game, too, and equally delicious.

Vegetables: Earthy vegetables like mushrooms, carrots, and beets are another great option. Make sure you choose a wine you love—these veggies will soak up all that great flavor! Whether you marinate and grill them on their own for a rich, umami-filled side or simmer them as part of a pasta sauce, these will be some of the most flavorful veggies you’ve ever served. 

Herbs and Spices: Every dish needs a few spices or fresh herbs, but adding them when cooking with red wine really helps to unlock flavor. Think bay leaves for stews and soups, fresh thyme and rosemary for roasted veggies and marinades and oregano for pasta sauces and braised meats. Check out your spice cabinet and try out other options, too, like warm, sweet cinnamon or aromatic cloves.

Cooking with red wine isn’t just for savory meats and veggies! It’s also a great way to step up the sweetness and take your desserts to a whole new level. Incorporating red wine into the baking process adds wonderful depth of flavor while enhancing the aroma of a dish. Wine can also be used to add moisture and tenderness to your baked goods, or even give your desserts a beautiful deep hue. Here are some of our absolute favorite desserts made with red wine.

Is your mouth watering yet? Whether you’re thinking of incorporating red wine into a sumptuous main course or a decadent dessert, this is one cooking trick that will enhance everything from braised meats to robust sauces to sweet treats. Give cooking with red wine a try, and enjoy!