White Wine for Cooking

Many argue that you should use really good wines when cooking. I can see some logic but my experience moves in the direction of, at least for reds, solid fruit driven wines that are relatively inexpensive. As mentioned before Yellow Tail Shiraz is a wine I do not drink but keep several bottles in a kitchen rack to use in beef stews and sauces.

Now to my point. What white wine do you use to cook with? The American Test Kitchen (TV version of Cook's Illustrated) did a panel test on what wine, and what variety was best. They had a definite winner; sauvignon blanc, and price did not make any difference. The acidity held up and there was only a distant #2. Chard finished very low and never use an oaked chard. German Rieslings also did not do well as the RS in most did not work. The #2 was cooking vermouth for those who need something that will last and don't want to open a bottle each time they need a cup of white wine. Thought this was interesting.
Walt

I use "very dry sherry" at $5 a bottle for the white cooking wine on my shelf. I've tasted it - it isn't "bad", but I wouldn't choose it to drink by itself. I also use whatever white is open and has about half a glass left in it.

Lately I've been working my way through a case of ESJ Bone-Jolly Gamay Rose. Throw a cup or two of this into any recipe calling for "dry white wine" and you get great results. I think it's the acid/fruit/no oak combo that makes this a great cooking AND slurping wine. I've used it in Manhattan style fish soup, red pizza sauce, poaching sauce for fish, etc.
With this in mind, I'm not surprised sauvignon blanc is such a good choice as well.

Sauvignon Blanc here. I go up in price a bit, not so much for the cooking but to make the cook happy.

i tend to use whatever no oak high acid wine is handy - including vermouth - which as was pointed out will last and last. muscadet is one of my usualy choices - but i surely understand SB as well - as long as it isn't one of the CA oaky ones - or an oaky white graves. if the wine hasn't enough acid, i'm not above adding a couple of drops of wine vinegar either.

I am very happy to read that Sauvignon Blanc is the best white wine to use, because we drink more of it than any other white varietal. The truth is we tend to use whatever bottle of white wine might already be open and in the fridge (or whatever white we plan to drink that night). That could include SB, Viognier, Muscadet, Picpoul, Semillon, Chenin Blanc, or some kind of a white blend. Since we do not drink oaky white wines, all of these seem to work quite nicely.

-- Clark

Put me in the "whatever's open" crowd. If nothing is, I tend to open an inexpensive Macon. I tend to go for acidity and no oak.

I, too, have been using whatever is open. If nothing is open, I have been using the Fume Blanc from Chateau St. Jean.

I've never considered any white with RS for cooking but always with high acidity and no oak. For me a German QBA has always worked well and has been inexpensive too.

Paul

I usually use some homemade hybrid to cook with, either Cayuga or Vidal.

Same as Howie - lately I've been using my '06 Dry Cayuga and it works just fine.

I use dry white vermouth, and add to the bottle other whites when I have just a little left in a bottle. I also keep sherry, madiera, port, and sometimes sweet vermouth on the counter for cooking. Some things, like mushrooms, really need sherry.

I like to use very decent drinkable, but not expensive, wines in cooking.

Sauvignon Blancs (preferably without excessive, or any, oak, such as those New Zealanders recently posted about here) have been my mainstay since early 1980s. In some cases you have to watch out if they are insipidly sweet which can be a problem with cheap US labels. Secondarily Chardonnays (sometimes under the label of a lighter white Burgundy), again not oaky. All of these wines are good to serve on the table also.

I've never considered any white with RS for cooking but always with high acidity and no oak. For me a German QBA has always worked well and has been inexpensive too.
Paul

Hi Paul, you have been gone for a bit, so it is good to see you back again. I suppose work is slowing down now that the holiday rush is all but over.

For a while we cooked with vermouth because it keeps longer than table wines, but it can produce bum results because of the herb content.

Whatever white has been open too long is great for cooking.

[Jenise]

Interesting post, Walt. I'm another "whatever's open" type, but I prefer crisp, unoaked wines with good fruit for cooking regardless of grape--Australia's Yalumba unoaked at about $9 is a good choice if I'm buying something because I need quantity. I use white vermouth sometimes but only when I want the vermouth taste--I don't consider it interchangeable with the fresh and fruity taste of table wine.

Hi Bob,

It has been to long, you're right and fun to be back. The rush is over and I am looking forward to a few days off here and there in the new year.

Best

Paul

I tend to use the wine I am going to have with the meal. I have a couple of opened bottles of cheap Aussie Shiraz (yes they are turning into fine vinegar) which I would use occasionally. I have found that adding a splash in a slow cooker tends to mask any fault the wine may inherently have. White wine wise, I like to use a Sauvignon Blanc or at times a Rhone white blend.

I guess I'm in the "whatever's open" club. I do prefer, though, to use the same wine in the food that will be drunk with the meal.