Wine for Cooking

Our answer

Fortunately there are several solutions for people who like to cook with wine but not necessarily drink it. The first is that you can freeze leftover red, white or sparkling wine and use it for cooking. Wine doesn't freeze solid, it remains slightly slushy, so you can freeze the whole lot in an airtight container and just scoop out what you need, or you can freeze it in containers in individual portions (we suggest by glassful). You can use the wine from frozen and melt it into the dish you are making, or thaw it for about an hour before using.

The other alternative is to use a fortified wine which has a much longer shelf life, even after opening. For white wine we suggest dry white vermouth or you could use a medium-dry sherry. For red wine you can use port or red vermouth. Dry Madiera is also a good option to have in the storecupboard. It goes with both red and white meats, though will give a darker sauce than say a white wine or white vermouth.