what kind of wine

[hedder]

I've never cooked with wine before,and I don't really drink it either. So, for someone who wants to start, I need help. I know you should only cook with wine you drink, but what kind of red and white.. I went to the store the other day and there is so many to choose from, how does one get started.. Dry, sweet, fruity. Merlot, Bordeaux,Reisling etc.. I just would like to have a nice stock of wine to cook and drink with.. .

[KeeperOfTheGood]

Hey oh

I just answerd this question in another thread:

http://www.cheftalkcafe.com/forums/s...589#post105589

To restate it here though, I find that the best wine to cook with (red wine stews and the like) are "House" wines (House wines are ones that do not carry an appalation, are usally simple, desribed as light flavoured or easy drinking). These are usually low priced wines without a flavour signatue (the signature, for example , is what seperates Cabernet from Shiraz as well as one winery form another). I am not saying use tingling grape juice either. A good House wine from a well recognised winery will do you very well, without setting you back overly in the pocet book.

There are times to use 'the wine you drink' in cooking. At the end to add in that 'signature' to your dish, or when there is only a small quantity that is required (2 or 3 Oz's).

As to what wine to add in... Well, this is the real benefit to doing wine tours and wine tastings. I live at one end of the wine region of my provence. My wife and I love to go to the variouse wineries and I get her to try them out. I buy based on her recomendations, and I've not been dissapointed. Also it is a fun drive to do on lazy weekends. I am rather lucky to live in an area that encompasses more than 100 independent small scale wineries, some of which are doing some awsome experiments in flavours, blends, and varietals. The recognition has been slow comming, but each year these wineries win more awards in some of the most prestigeous of competitions.


Also, I do not drink. Ever. But in talking to people that do, there can be flavour negatives to drinking a wine different that the wine used in a dish. Hence wine stwards recomending select wines for different dishes. No sence in you not enjoying a meal because of a bad pairing. At least that is how it was once explained to me. Could be wrong here, I'd be interested to know..........


Oh, and I note that you are in Germany. This may help you out. Let me know if it does. I am in Canada, and its several generations back that there is German in my bloodline.

http://www.germanwinesociety.org/