The Difference between Cooking with Red Wine and White Wine

Cooking with wine is an extensive and profound art. Those skilled cookers tend to add wine into the sauce so that the taste and texture of meat can be improved. Surprisingly, there are differences between cooking with red wine and white wine and the type of wine that you choose to use in the food can be the indication of your cooking skills.

Red Wine vs. White Wine

Red wine differs from white wine. For one thing, the main raw materials of red wines are red grapes but white wines are made with white grapes. For another, during the fermentation process, winemakers will brew red wine using the grape skins and seeds while brewing white wine the other way round, which makes these two types of wine have different tastes (White wine is more delicate and acidic than red wine).

Diverse Meat Pair with Different Wines

Generally speaking, red meat pairs well with red wine and white wine matches white meat. The research shows that red meat is a heavier source of fat, unlike white meat which contains lower levels of fat and protein. Thus, richer foods like beef should be supplemented by more mellow wines in the sauce. In contrast, white wine is more acidic so it should be used in the sauce to match chicken or fish.

Different Functions of Wines While Cooking

There is a chemical substance called tannin which can be produced from the grape skins, stems, seeds and barrels in the wine production. In terms of the tastes, red wine which contains tannins can bring tastes to dishes by going fat and adding pleasant savor. Whereas, there isn’t any tannin in white wine, so it is usually used to reduce undersigned smell of the meat.

Are You A Skilled Cooker?

When you get this far, I believe that you already have a clear image of cooking with wine. Why don’t you do a test? Will you choose red wine or white wine while cooking a French fare named Coq Au Vin? Your choice can show whether you are a skilled cooker or not. On the basis of the fundamental rule of cooking with wine, you ought to use white wine as the main ingredient of the fare is chicken. Unexpectedly, the right wine that should be added into the food is red wine.

Here is an explanation that I can’t agree with more:

“When you have a rich meaty sauce, like coq au vin, you also have sticky, gummy, fatty flavors and textures in there already, so why not embellish them by using red wine.”

In sum, the differences between cooking with red and white wine are mainly related to your recipe. The wine you choose is susceptible to the food you want to cook. If you yearn for greater flavors, remember to have a thorough understanding of the pairing between foods and wines.

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