Differences Between Cooking Wine & Wine

No doubt, we've all run across a recipe or two that calls for a little cooking wine as one of its ingredients. Sometimes, you may just skip it as a component, or substitute something you readily have on hand. You might even wonder if the wine you opened the night before would work in a pinch. But is there an actual difference between wine and cooking wine?

Features

There is a difference between regular wine and cooking wine. Traditionally, cooking wine has an additive--salt. The salt acts as a preservative for the wine. If you open a bottle of regular wine and then come back a week later and try to drink it, you'll notice it almost tastes like vinegar. Salt slows down the fermenting process that happens to wine when it is exposed to oxygen, allowing the cooking wine to be used for much longer than a regular bottle.

Function

Though convenient for your average, everyday cook, those in the professional world rarely use cooking wine. Many people believe you should never cook with a wine that you are unwilling to drink--and cooking wine is definitely undrinkable--and that using a cooking wine in place of a regular wine reduces the quality of the food. Does that mean you shouldn't use it? Not at all. Your reputation as a chef will by no means be tarnished among your friends.

Identification

Besides the obvious identifying factor--the label--cooking wine can also be distinguished by the quality of grape used in its production. Most often, these sorts of wines use a fairly low-quality grape that wouldn't make an ideal drinking wine. In other parts of the world, a cooking wine may be made with rice instead of grapes. Typically, you use this sort of wine in Asian-inspired cuisine.

Considerations

So, now you know that there's an actual difference between regular wine and cooking wine, does it mean you need to use one when called for? No, and there are actually a number of very convenient substitutes for wine:Beef stock, chicken broth, water, tomato juice, flavored vinegar and even ginger ale can be used as a substitute. Just remember that these substitutes will alter the flavor of your food.

Expert Insight

Though most chefs choose not use cooking wine for a recipe, they use a cheaper brand of wine for their dishes. The wine is still completely drinkable, just maybe not the highest quality or taste. Usually, they recommend cooking with the same wine you plan to serve, but if you've got an expensive bottle chilling in the fridge, look for a similar but less expensive bottle.