Unlocking Flavour: 3 Ways to Cook with Wine

Why not add some white wine to a Gnocchi dish when making the sauce?

Wine isn’t just for sipping—it’s a secret weapon in the kitchen that can take your cooking to the next level. Whether you’re looking to add depth to a dish, tenderize meat, or create a rich, glossy sauce, a splash of wine can work wonders. The key is knowing how to use it effectively to enhance flavors without overpowering the meal.

In this post, I’ll share three simple yet game-changing ways to incorporate wine into your cooking: as a marinade, for deglazing a pan, and in braising. No need to be a professional chef—just grab a bottle, and let’s get cooking!

1. Marinating

Meats for BBQ are often marinated to enhance their flavour.

You need an acidic liquid for a marinade. Wine is a good option because, in addition to adding acidity, wine adds complex flavour to the finished dish. The wine-based marinade also helps keep meat, poultry, or seafood moist while it cooks.⁠

2. Deglazing

I don’t think I enjoy anything more than a sauce made from deglazing a pan. The flavours are so rich and can often take to the next level.

Pan sauces are the product of deglazing, the process of adding a liquid to a pan to dissolve the food stuck there. This also creates a flavourful sauce or gravy for your dish. Wine is perfect for deglazing because using different wines leads to infinite possibilities in flavours and sauces. ⁠

3. Braising

I love me some slow cooked meat.

Braising is cooking food quickly to brown it and develop flavour and then cooking it slowly, with a liquid, in a sealed pot. This technique is used for making tougher cuts of meat more tender, but it can also be applied to vegetables, particularly those with stalks. Braising can be done with all kinds of liquids but wine is great because the fruity flavours add complexity, and the wine’s acidity brightens up mellow flavours that build up in a braise.⁠

Good To Know:

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when using wine in your cooking:

- The heat from cooking will cook off most of the wine’s alcohol and concentrate its fruitiness and acidity. ⁠
-When picking a wine to use while cooking consider the meat and flavours of the dish. ⁠
- Use the same wine you used while cooking for pairing with the final dish.⁠

Cheers to Cooking with Wine!

Cheers!

Now that you’ve got three delicious ways to use wine in your cooking, it’s time to put them to the test! Whether you're marinating, deglazing, or braising, a splash of wine can turn an ordinary meal into something truly special. The best part? You get to enjoy a glass while you cook—because why should the pot have all the fun?

So, next time you're in the kitchen, don’t be afraid to reach for that bottle. Experiment, have fun, and let wine do what it does best—bring people (and flavours) together.

Have a favourite way to cook with wine? Drop it in the comments—I’d love to hear!