utility wine

[redace1960]

could one of you knowlegeable folks help me please? i'm not a wine person, drink it rarely and like it seldom ( beer being a different story, here in microbrew heaven. northfork tall toad rocks!).
reliable utility cooking wines-preferrably a brand that can be found at the supermarket- are what i'm looking for. up until now i've been using whatever burgundy and chardonnay are on sale. chardonnay is specifically called for in a recipe i only use once a year, but the red can be anything thats round and fat and not icky sweet and doesn't taste like gasoline. again, these won't be for drinking, but should i take a slash as i stand over the stove i dont want to have all my teeth leap out of my mouth either.

[Cook-Jetto]

You cant go wrong with sometimes Chablees(spelling i dont know) and Marsala cooking whine.

[MarkV]

There are a number of everyday wines for $10 or less that are good for drinking and definitely for cooking.

I don't know where you;re from redrace but here in northern NJ common brands found in most liquor stores that are:

Ruffino Chianti
Parallel 45 (cotes du rhone)
Bella Serra Pinot Grigio
Bella Luna (cabernet, chardonnay, pinot grigio)

Mark

[Cook-Jetto]

Yea theres great whines cheap you just gotta find the ones that are right for that dish.

[Fat Al]

Just thought I'd throw in my ten cents (pence! UK) worth - if I'm cooking for myself I'll use any old wine, but, if cooking for others then the wine should be of good drinking quality, otherwise what should be an outstanding sauce could turn into pondwater. I dont know how much wine is in the US but I think it would be a folly to skimp on the price.

[Botanique]

Redace --

Rule of thumb -- cook with only what you would drink!

Bad vino can ruin a dish. Especially if you've got a wine that's been open for a week sitting on the counter by the stove with the cork stuffed back in -- that's called vinegar. Ick. Remember, you are reducing and burning off the alcohol, intensifying the flavors of the wine. Putting a full bodied zinfandel with spice and berry will make a lamb stew blossom, but would probably be too intense for scampi.... Even if you don't drink wine much, as a cook it would help to taste different wines and get to know the "personalities" of different varietals.

To answer your initial question regarding supermarket wine:
Most supermarkets now carry a good variety of wines at pretty good prices. Mondavi has some good stock cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay, as well as sauvignon blanc, merlot etc. All good for cooking (and drinking for basic table wine) and you can get them in the big bottles if you need that much. Galo is coming around and producing some nice table wine as well. BV, Bogle, Sutter, Beringer, Kenwood, Benziger, Turning Leaf.... I am presuming you want to stay domestic, but I can also recommend some imports if you want.... I don't know where you are ("barely in the US?") but I am assuming you have access to a Safeway or something. I'd be glad to get more specific, but I need more info from you -- I'll help in any way I can. If you want to take it up a notch I have lots of recommendations.

Another rule of thumb -- stay away from anything in a box

This is just a quick answer, I hope I have helped at least a little. I'll check back to see if you want more info. Good luck!

[redace1960]

wow, thanks!
right now i have a gallo white zin that i'm really happy with so far. markv-i've used the bella luna cabernet and it's good. thanks for recalling it to mind! i guess what i'm looking for is a red variety that is pretty middle of the road, that does a reliable job and doesnt reduce down to a substance that tastes like pine boxes or like old books smell. but theres so much variety in flavors! one marques merlot is a completely different thing from anothers, for instance. do i really have to do a wine tasting? i honestly have trouble getting the stuff down. (wine whine.)

[laragrossman]

Try Yellowtail wine. Look for a bright red or yellow label. They are usually around 6-8 dollars a bottle and I have never been dissatisfied. Turning Leaf is very reliable, and if you have a Trader Joe's nearby, their "2 Buck Chuck" (Charles Shaw) wines are very good.