Why Cooking Deserves a Decent Bottle: The Importance of Using Good Wine in Your Food

We’ve all heard the saying: “Don’t cook with a wine you wouldn’t drink.” But how true is it? Does the quality of wine really matter when you’re tossing it into a sauce or stew? The short answer: absolutely. Here’s why using a decent bottle makes a big difference to your cooking.

Mussels cooked in White Wine

The wine doesn’t just disappear

When you cook with wine, you’re concentrating its flavours, not erasing them. As the alcohol evaporates, what’s left behind is the essence of that wine — its acidity, sweetness, fruit, or bitterness. If you use a cheap, unbalanced wine that tastes harsh or overly sweet, that’s exactly what will linger in your dish. Instead of enhancing your food, it can leave it tasting flat, sour, or oddly metallic.

Wine is an ingredient, not an afterthought

Think of wine like you would olive oil or butter. You wouldn’t drizzle rancid oil over your salad or use burnt butter in your baking. Wine should complement and lift the dish, bringing complexity and depth. A decent wine will add subtle fruitiness to sauces, brighten a slow-cooked stew, or round out a risotto. A poor wine? It could clash with your flavours or leave a bitter edge.

It doesn’t have to break the bank

Using good wine for cooking doesn’t mean pulling out your prized vintage Bordeaux. It just means choosing a bottle you’d be happy sipping while you stir. A fresh, balanced wine — red, white, or rosé — does the trick. Something in the £6–£12 / €7–€14 / $8–$15 range is often perfect. Bonus: you can enjoy the rest of the bottle with your meal.

What about cooking with wine for kids or non-drinkers?

It’s a common question — and the good news is, cooking with wine can still be perfectly fine for family meals. When wine is simmered or baked into a dish, the alcohol largely evaporates, especially in recipes that cook for a while. A splash of wine in a sauce or stew will leave behind its flavour, not the alcohol. If you’re ever unsure, just let the dish bubble away for a few extra minutes — the longer the cook time, the less alcohol remains.

Helpful Tips for Cooking with Wine

🍷 1. How much to use? As a general guide, add about 100 ml for a pan sauce or risotto, and up to 200–300 ml for a stew or braise. You want enough to add flavour without drowning the dish.

🍷 2. What about leftover wine? Don’t feel like you have to finish the bottle just because you’ve opened it for drinking! If you’ve poured a glass and don’t finish the rest, simply keep it for cooking. Once opened, wine can sit for weeks in the fridge or a cool spot and still be perfectly good for adding to your dishes. It might lose a bit of its freshness for sipping, but it’ll still bring depth and flavour to your food.

🍷 3. What to avoid? Skip wines that are very oaky (they can taste bitter when reduced) or overly sweet unless the recipe calls for it. And supermarket “cooking wine”? Best to leave it on the shelf — it’s usually salty, thin, and brings nothing good to your dish.

🍷 4. Sip while you cook! If you’re using a nice wine for your recipe, pour yourself a small glass to enjoy while you cook. It makes the process even more enjoyable — and lets you check how those flavours might play out in the dish.

🍷 5. Try this quick trick: Next time you pan-fry chicken or fish, deglaze the pan with a splash of wine. Add a knob of butter and let it bubble down for a minute. Instant sauce — simple, delicious, and a little bit fancy.

What wine to use? A few ideas

• Chicken in white wine sauce or risotto: Dry, crisp whites like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio.

• Beef bourguignon or coq au vin: Smooth reds like Pinot Noir or Merlot.

• Seafood dishes (mussels, fish stew): Fresh whites like Pinot Grigio or light Chardonnay.

• Tomato-based sauces: Medium-bodied reds like Sangiovese or Rioja crianza.

A little story

One of my favourite memories is making a simple chicken dish with white wine on a rainy Sunday, with friends chatting in the kitchen and music playing. I grabbed a bottle I’d been saving — not expensive, but one I genuinely enjoyed. The result? The sauce tasted incredible: rich, balanced, with just the right hint of fruit. Everyone kept asking what the secret was. The truth? I think it was all in the wine.

Ready to taste the difference?

Next time you’re cooking, reach for a wine you’d actually enjoy in a glass — and see how much it lifts your dish. Have a favourite wine for cooking? Share it in the comments or tag me in your creations — I’d love to see what you’re making!

I hope you enjoyed my article about the importance of using good wine in your food. Little tricks like this really do make a difference.

Happy Cooking!