The Best Red Wine Varieties To Keep In Your Kitchen For Beginner Home Cooks - Tasting Table

""Look for red wines that have lower tannin and brighter acidity," Henderson advises. "Wine is used in cooking for flavor. But it's big advantage is natural acidity which tenderizes foods and keeps them moist." That alcoholic bite cooks off but, says Henderson, it "helps the flavor molecules of the other ingredients open up." Wine delivers an underlying richness to a red pasta sauce, for example, while also enhancing the flavors of the tomatoes, herbs, and aromatics."

"Wine delivers an underlying richness to a red pasta sauce, for example, while also enhancing the flavors of the tomatoes, herbs, and aromatics. "Alcohol also helps break down fats," Henderson adds, "which is also why it's often a main ingredient in marinades for tough meats." The best cuts of steak for marinating in red wine include flank and skirt steaks as well as tri-tip and sirloin filets. Henderson recommends "zinfandel, Gamay, and basic Chianti" as excellent cooking wines."

Choose red wines with lower tannin and brighter acidity for cooking because acidity tenderizes foods and keeps them moist. Alcohol in wine cooks off while helping other ingredients' flavor molecules open up and breaking down fats, which aids marinades for tougher cuts. Red wine adds underlying richness to sauces and enhances tomatoes, herbs, and aromatics. Recommended red wines for cooking include zinfandel, Gamay, and basic Chianti. Marinating works well with flank, skirt, tri-tip, and sirloin filet. Use drinkable but not spoiled bottles; expensive wine is often unnecessary because flavors evolve when mixed with other ingredients.

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