15 Red Wine Recipes That Are Simply Delicious (2024)

FAQs

What is a good red wine for recipes? ›

When it comes to cooking, your safest bet is to choose a mid-priced, medium-bodied red wine with moderate tannins, like a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Pinot Noir. Using a red wine that is too big, full-bodied and tannic, like Shiraz, may turn 'chalky' and astringent while cooking and ruin the flavour of your dish.

Varieties such as Merlot, Gamay, Pinot Noir and Grenache are typically low in tannin, and as such, are regarded as smooth.

Many people find that the tannins in red wine are bitter. Low tannin reds include Beaujolais, Chianti, and Pinot Noir. The PN from Willamette Valley Oregon is often as good as French red Burgundy costing far more.

When it comes to cooking, your safest bet is to choose a mid-priced, medium-bodied red wine with moderate tannins, like a Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Pinot Noir. Using a red wine that is too big, full-bodied and tannic, like Shiraz, may turn 'chalky' and astringent while cooking and ruin the flavour of your dish.

When cooking a beef roast, you'll want to stick with heavier, dry wines. Merlot and Pinot Noir tend to work best due to their deep color and heavy tannin makeup. They shouldn't be aged wine, but fresher so that they keep their fruity taste.

Many wine experts consider pinot noir to be the healthiest red wine because it contains the highest concentration of resveratrol. Pinot noir also contains fewer calories than other red wine varieties and may be less likely to cause heartburn thanks to its relatively low tannin content.

Wine and beer

Wine goes with food perfectly. But this is a beverage that you'll have a tough time combining with other alcoholic drinks. Especially beer. This combination is dangerous because both beer and wine contain sulfites that will react with each other in your stomach.

Generally, an opened bottle of red wine can last for up to 5 days if stored properly in a cool and dark place with a wine stopper or cork in place to prevent excess oxygen from getting in. For white wine, it can last for up to 3 days under the same storage conditions.

What is the sweeter red wine? ›

The most notable sweet fortified red wine is Port. Made in Portugal's Douro Valley, producers stop fermentation with the addition of a neutral clear spirit like brandy, which kills yeast activity and increases the alcohol level. Port comes in many styles, from ruby to vintage to aged tawnies.

The best red wines to use when cooking pasta sauce are Cabernets, Chianti, Merlot and Pinot Noir. Chianti is an Italian origin wine, created using Sangiovese grapes. It's affordable, and ranges in a wide variety of flavor notes like mushroom, tobacco, and cherry.

If you're making a red wine reduction sauce, some of the best choices are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Chianti, or Barbera.

Unless a dish especially calls for a fortified or dessert wine, the best wines for cooking are dry red or dry white wines. For example, if you're using red, reach for Merlot instead of Port. Or, choose Sauvignon Blanc over Sauternes when you're cooking with white wine.

If a recipe calls for “dry red wine,” use a dry red. Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Merlot are good choices that are easy to find. Use Marsala, Madeira, and other fortified wines as instructed in recipes. These wines have distinct flavors and should not be substituted.