Cooking with Wine

Wine, when included in the preparation of a dish, not only contributes its own flavors, but the alcohol from the wine also brings out different qualities and flavors of the dish as a whole.  It is important to note all alcohol does not burn off during cooking.  Five to 40 percent of the alcohol can remain in the food. 

The wide array of flavors and textures of wines gives you an opportunity to create different flavors in what you cook.  For example, adding Syrah to your sauce will contribute completely different flavors than if you were to add Chardonnay.   

But don't stop there.  The alcohol from other liqueurs, spirits, beers, etc., bring out different qualities and flavors just as wine does in the things you cook.  Don't be afraid to experiment!

Some general rules according to Food Network:

	Use alcohol you'd drink.  That doesn't mean going all-out on a fancy bottle to braise with; all it means is that you should use something both drinkable and intended for drinking.
	There's a saying that "what grows together, goes together."  Choose wine from the region your recipe comes from for a guaranteed flavor pairing.
	When you reduce wine, you amplify all the flavors.  That means that if you want a sweeter sauce, choose a sweet wine; if you want a jammier-tasting sauce, choose a fuller-bodied wine.
	Cook wine for at least a minute of two after adding it to a dish.  Without that, the wine can overpower the other flavors in your food.