Cooking Wine: A Brief History<\/u><\/p>\n
Cooking with wine has been an essential culinary practice since time immemorial. De Re Coquinaria<\/span> by the Caelius Apicius (believed to be one of the earliest cookbooks) dates back to the 5th Century AD and includes many wine-based dishes. So for centuries, wine has been a cooking ingredient for many traditional and classic dishes, especially in European kitchens. These dishes range from simple, hearty dishes for peasants to complex mixtures served on the tables of royalty.<\/p>\n In 1833 four Mother Sauces <\/a>(Velout\u00e9, B\u00e9chamel, Allemande, and Espagnole), were categorized by French chef Marie-Antoine Car\u00eame. A fifth, mother sauce, Sauce Tomate was added to the list by the legendary French Chef Auguste Escoffier<\/a> in 1903.<\/p>\n A mother sauce is a foundation sauce that when combined with different ingredients creates sauce variations known as Daughter Sauces (identified and named by Escoffier).<\/p>\n These sauces often have the addition of wine. The Daughter Sauces add additional flavors to Mother Sauces. These sauces are the backbone of modern classical and haute-cuisine cooking.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Why Is Wine Used in Cooking and How Does It Enhance Food Aromas and Flavors?<\/u><\/p>\n Wine is a liquid type of seasoning that does not alter the flavor of the dish, instead, it draws out the existing flavors and aromas of the ingredients in the base recipe. It is like adding soup stock. Wine is perfect for adding flavor and a subtle sweetness or pleasant acidity depending on the type of wine used.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Simple Rules When Choosing a Wine for A Recipe<\/u><\/p>\n It is important to choose wines that complement the ingredients in your dish. The wrong choice of wine can completely alter the flavor of your dish, resulting in catastrophic results. Always follow the guidelines in the recipe for a perfect result every time.<\/p>\n If you are unsure which wine to use, check to see what the dish recommends as a wine pairing. Using wine that is a recommended pairing with the dish will always result in a suitably flavored recipe. A few simple golden rules to follow are:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What Color or Wine Style Goes Best with Which Ingredients?<\/u><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Does and Don\u2019ts When Cooking with Wine<\/u><\/p>\n Do: <\/strong><\/p>\n Do not:<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n What Is the Chemistry Behind Cooking with Wine?<\/u><\/p>\n For the chemistry geeks out there, let us explore the chemical reaction that results between wine and culinary ingredients. The alcohol in the wine binds to fat and water molecules. Different ingredients in the dish are either fat or water-soluble, therefore they dissolve best in either water or fat.<\/p>\n Wine dissolves in both substances. This makes it perfect for marinades because the alcohol completely dissolves the smell and taste compounds much better than water-based sauces. Wine also breaks down meat proteins (known as denaturing<\/a>) <\/strong>which results in meat that has been naturally tenderized and is bursting with flavor.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Does All of The Alcohol Evaporate When It Is Used in Cooking?<\/u><\/p>\n There is a popular misconception that cooking evaporates the alcohol in the wine and that the final dish is alcohol-free. Nothing could be further from the truth. Wine usually contains around 7-15% alcohol.<\/p>\n When the wine’s alcohol is mixed with water, the two liquids form an azeotrope. An azeotrope is a mixture of two different chemicals that have the same ratio of components when they are in the liquid phase.<\/p>\n Alcohol evaporates faster than water (the cool sensation you feel when putting rubbing alcohol on your skin is it evaporating). Therefore, the faster vaporization of alcohol means that there will be less and less alcohol in relation to water.<\/p>\n The proportion of wine in a recipe will also affect the final level of alcohol that remains in the final dish. For example, if you add one glass of wine to a recipe for six people, each person has a sixth of a glass of wine in their serving. In the same way, if a recipe requires an entire bottle of wine for the same number of people, then there will be more alcohol in the meal.<\/p>\n As a rule, the longer you cook the food, the lower the amount of residual alcohol will be. For example, 15 minutes of cooking will reduce the alcohol by about 60% \u2013 it’s not a linear depletion \u2013\u00a0so and you’ll need 2.5 – 3 hours (if you are cooking say a slow braised dish with a wine) before all the alcohol vanishes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Recipes That Absolutly Must Use Wine! <\/u><\/p>\n A classic reduction sauce uses our semi-sweet Demi Sec Honey Wine<\/a> added sauteed garlic in butter \u2013 it makes a perfect sauce when smothered over grilled salmon poured over from the pan while it’s still sizzling!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Featured Recipe: Grey Tree Mushrooms and Bee d’Vine Brut<\/a><\/u><\/p>\n I love cooking with wine, sometimes I even put some in the food! <\/em>No unfortunately that is not an original saying but here is a simple recipe that I did create \u2013 you can view the 30 second video of yours truly cooking it and indulge in the end result below!<\/p>\n\n
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