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Originally Posted by KYHeirloomer  We don't drink a lot of wine here, either. But when choosing a cooking wine I shy away from the really cheap stuff that, to me, tastes cruddy. I ask myself, "would you drink this with what you are preparing?" If the answer is "no" then I know better next time.
Still and all, there are numerous wines selling for less than ten bucks that serve you well. You just have to experiment a little to find ones that suit you. |
I'd agree with KY, but would like to add that an opened bottle of wine, no matter what techniques you use to keep it "fresh" will have a limited shelf life. If you don't drink much wine I'd suggest buying 375ml bottles instead of the larger bottles. Another option is to freeze the unused wine if it won't be used in short order. It'll keep a lot better properly frozen then left in the bottle. You can even freeze it in zip-lock bags.
Finally, while I wouldn't suggest buying "plonk," some great bargains can be found, and a good wine can sometimes be had for as little as $5.00 or $6.00 a bottle. Look towards Chilean wines as a possibility, and believe it or not, there are some good wines to be had that have their origin in Arkansas as well as other states generally not associated with grape growing and wine production.
I've been satisfied with Trader Joe's Merlot when used in a spaghetti sauce, although in the future I'd probably opt for something a little better. But it wasn't bad.
Oh, one other thing - If you're having wine with dinner then it may be a good idea to use the same or a similar wine in the cooking of that dinner.
Have fun exploring the posibilities ....
Shel