Red, white, rosé, or sparkling, it doesn't matter. Wine is delicious in all its versions. To enjoy it, you don't just have to rely on the famous pairing between the drink and your food. Wine can also be used to prepare spectacular dishes. Would you like to take advantage of every last drop of your favorite bottle? Discover the most original ways to cook with wine.

Slow Cooking

Use a tannin-rich red wine or a slightly acidic white wine to slow cook meat, chicken, or fish. If you are buying the wine exclusively for cooking, avoid using aged or high-quality varieties. The nuances of these wines are lost in cooking, so there's no point in investing in an expensive bottle.

Marinating

Another incredible way to use wine in cooking is marinating. Besides giving a very special flavor to the
food, the marinating process tenderizes the meat and provides a more tender texture. You can add a splash of vinegar to enhance the flavors. Remember to turn the meat to ensure the marinade is even.




Short Cooking

Another cooking technique that involves using wine is short cooking. Unlike the first two options, in this method, the wine comes into contact with the food for a short period. Generally, a cup of a fuller-bodied wine is used to provide a greater range of flavors to the dish without requiring a long cooking time.

Poaching

Wine is an excellent ingredient for dishes that include fruits. Instead of preparing simple tejocotes in syrup, you can cook them in a mixture of wine, sugar, and spices. After the fruits are cooked, you can remove them from the heat and let the sauce reduce to form a kind of syrup. This syrup is perfect to accompany your desserts.

RECIPES YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN:
Classic Red Wine Chicken
Two Cheese Cream with Blueberry and White Wine
Chicken Breast with Marsala Wine
Red Beans in Red Wine

Baking

The combination of wine and chocolate is one of those legendary pairings that never fails. To take advantage of this delicious duo, you can use wine in the preparation of cakes, brownies, cupcakes, or any chocolate dessert that needs baking. Without needing to add an entire bottle, you'll notice how the wine gives a very special taste to the chocolate.

Sauces and Dressings

Probably the simplest way to use wine in cooking is by making sauces or dressings. In the case of sauces, it is common to include a cooking process, while dressings are usually prepared raw, simply adding oils, juices (citrus, most of the time), and spices.

Wine-Infused Pasta

This is a similar version to poached fruits, only in this case, it is done with pasta. For this preparation, all you need to do is cook the pasta of your choice in a mixture of water and wine in equal parts. There’s no need to make any other adjustments to the recipe you usually follow.

Jams

Finally, another original way to use wine in cooking is to prepare jams. In this particular case, you can use any type of wine (red, white, or rosé) and add some fruits if you like. If not, with a bit of pectin and sugar, you can make a delicious wine jam.

Don't waste wine. Use your creativity in the kitchen and take advantage of every drop of your favorite wine.