Cooking with Wine: How to Elevate Your Dishes with the Right Bottle

Wine isn’t just for sipping, it’s also a powerful ingredient that can deepen flavours, lift textures, and add flair to your cooking. Whether you’re deglazing or braising, choosing the right wine can transform an ordinary dish into something extraordinary.

In this blog post, we’ll explore the best wines for cooking, what happens to alcohol during cooking, and how to pair wine with dishes—plus, we’ll answer the burning question: Should you only cook with wine you’d actually drink?

Why cook with wine?

First off, wine adds much more than acidity or liquid—it enhances flavour, aroma, texture, and visual appeal:

Flavour extraction

Alcohol helps release flavour compounds that water alone can’t, like those in tomatoes and spices. Chefs and recipe developers note that even a splash of vodka in tomato sauces significantly amplifies the taste.

Deglazing

After sautéing, a splash of wine releases fondness from the caramelised, browned bits, creating the base for a rich pan sauce.

Acidity, sweetness, tannins

Wine brings a mix of acids, sugars, and sometimes tannins that balance and elevate dishes. Just like cooking a lamb stew with red wine adds backbone, or finishing trout with a citrusy white wine can lighten the dish up.

What happens to the alcohol during cooking?

And yes—the idea that all alcohol evaporates in cooking is a myth.

Evaporation statistics

USDA data shows after 15 minutes of simmering, ~40% of the alcohol remains, while after 1 hour, ~25% remains, and even after 2.5 hours, around 5% still persists.

Techniques matter

According to Wine Enthusiast, quick pan flambés burn only approximately 25% of alcohol, preserving 75% of alcohol. Long simmering process gradually reduces the alcohol content.

Bottom line?

If you want alcohol flavour without intoxication, cook long enough, but even then, some remains. For guests avoiding alcohol, consider using de-alcoholised wine.

Choosing the right wines for cooking

Dry White Wines

Go-tos for sauces, fish, chicken, and creamy dishes:

• Works like a charm for deglazing or seafood poach. The acidity from the wines can brighten flavours of the dish.
• Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio are perfect. A dry white with moderate acidity is ideal.

Dry Red Wines

The body and tannins in red wines reinforce hearty flavours:

• Perfect for beef and lamb stew. Tannins bind with proteins, and they can aid in softening texture.
• Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot are top picks.

Fortified & Aromatic Wines

Sweet, nutty, or herbal: perfect for desserts, risottos, special pan sauces.

• Marsala and Sherry enrich dishes with caramel, dried fruit notes.
• Vermouth adds herbal punch to risottos and glazes.

Spirits & Liqueurs

Use sparingly to enrich sauces, glazes, flambés:

• Cognac, brandy, and whisky add warm nutty aromas; vodka works in creamy sauces.

Should you only cook with wine you’d drink?

hat old saying holds truth—but with nuance:

Use wine you enjoy

Poor‑quality wine (oxidised or ‘cooking wine’) can spoil a dish. So we won’t suggest going with this category.

Everyday cooking

You don’t need to splurge, but quality bag-in-box wine will do the job! You can also pour yourself a glass while cooking. You can even pour yourself a glass while cooking. Boxed wine typically stays fresh for 4–6 weeks once opened, which is ideal for everyday use. This way, you don’t have to open a full bottle of wine just for cooking and risk it going to waste afterwards.

Special bottles

Keep pricier bottles for pairing and sipping, or use a splash to enhance your sauce just before finishing the cooking process. These wines add complexity to the sauce and pair beautifully with the meal you’ll enjoy alongside them.

How to match wine with dish types?

Here’s a quick matching guide:

• Chicken in white sauce: Use a buttery, unoaked Chardonnay for its smooth texture and subtle notes.
• Beef braised stew: Pair with a bold Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah to complement rich, hearty flavours.
• Seafood risotto: A zesty Vermentino or dry Riesling enhances delicate seafood flavours.
• Mushroom tart: Earthy Pinot Noir (see our Pinot Noir Producer Page) mirrors the umami in mushrooms.
• Pork chops in sauce: Fruity Beaujolais or Rosé cuts through the richness and balances flavours.

Our tips: Keep ingredients and wine in balance—body, acidity, sweetness, tannins all interact.

Wine pairing ideas for 3 dishes

1. Pan-Seared white flaky fish (think seabass!) with White Wine & Shallot Cream Sauce

Wine match: A well-balanced Sauvignon Blanc which is herbaceous, crisp, and high in acidity.

Why it works: Sauvignon Blanc’s citrus zing ties in with the sauce’s parsley and lemon. It also brightens cream and cuts richness.

Our recommendation: Antoine De La Farge Enfante Rebelle Blanc, Loire Valley, France

2. Braised Lamb Shanks in Red Wine

Wine match: Syrah/Shiraz with bold dark fruit, pepper and firm tannins.

Why it works: It can withstand long braising and match the lamb’s richness. Tannins also break down the protein in the meat to make it even more tender!

Our recommendation: Babylonstoren Shiraz, Franschhoek, South Africa

3. Mushroom and Creamy White Wine Sauce on Tagliatelle

Wine match: A light-bodied Pinot Noir with a touch of earthy aromas

Why it works: It can mirror the mushroom flavour without overpowering.

Our recommendation: Kornell Marith Pinot Nero, Alto Adige, Italy

Tips for smart cooking with wines

1. Acidity first – for dishes with tomatoes, fish, or creamy sauces, opt for a crisp, high-acid white.
2. Tannin awareness – tannic reds are great with proteins, but too much creates bitterness in vegetarian sauces.
3. Avoid oaky-heavy wines – oak can become bitter in reduction. Instead, opt for unoaked or lightly-oaked white wines.
4. Deglaze confidently – add wine right after you sauté, scrape up fond, and let it reduce by half to mellow alcohol’s edge.
5. Balance time vs. flavour – simmer long enough to lose harsh alcohol, but not so long you lose vibrancy. For a pan sauce, simmer for around 10–15 minutes will do!

Step-by-Step: Simple white wine sauce

Here, we are sharing a quick white wine sauce for those who thought cooking with wine was only for pros! Instead, everyone can do it!

1. Sauté your choice of aromatics – garlic, shallots, mushrooms in butter or oil.
2. Deglaze – pour in 100 ml Sauvignon Blanc (or your favourite dry white).
3. Simmer & reduce – cook until volume halves (around 10 minutes).
4. Finish – swirl in cream (optional), season with salt, black pepper and fresh parsley.
5. Serve – perfect over grilled chicken, fish, or shellfish.

Alcohol note: After 15 minutes, around 40% of alcohol remains; most harsh alcohol will have dissipated.

Final takeaways

• Wine is a transformative cooking ingredient. It contributes acids, alcohol, tannins, and aromatics to your dish.
• Understand alcohol retention: simmer longer for softness; flambé briefly for intensity and if you’d like to retain the complexity of the wine.
• Use wines you enjoy but avoid poor‑quality options that can spoil a dish.
• Match wine to the dish’s weight. Light whites for fish; full-bodied reds for robust meats.
• Explore fortified and spirit-based options for creative sauces and desserts.

Cooking with wine is both art and science; it’s about imparting flavours and creating harmony on the plate. So pour a glass of what you love, sip as you cook, and let your dishes taste like celebration.

This Blog post is written by Sharon Wong
Consumer Sales and Marketing Manager of Wanderlust Wine 

Sharon is the the driving force behind our website, wine club, marketing activities, and Wanderlust Wine events.