When food and wine are mentioned together, it is usually to ask what wine will go best with dinner but wine can also be an essential ingredient in the cooking process too.
The most important rule in cooking with wine is to only use a wine that you would drink. If you wouldn’t like to drink it, you’re probably not going to want to taste it in your dinner. Wine has three main uses in the kitchen. It can be used as a marinade to prepare for a dish, as a cooking liquid used to make sauces and as a flavouring. The idea is that using wine will enhance the flavour and aroma of a dish and not mask it or over power it.
For best results, don’t add the wine too late to the dish. The wine should be allowed to simmer with the food to enhance the flavour of the dish and allow the alcohol in the wine to evaporate.
Tuesday 18 January 2011
Organic Wine
Organic products are seen as being quite trendy. Everyone likes to be seen doing there bit for the environment these days. It usually costs that bit more as there is sometimes more care and effort gone into the product or so they say.
A truly organic wine can’t be made unless it comes from organic grapes. This means that the grapes used must be grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides or herbicides that are used to protect vines from pests and managing weeds. Wineries have had to come up with new ways of combating these pests using things from the natural world.
Once the organic grapes are harvested, any other additive that is usually introduced at the winery such as yeast must also be organic or it will compromise the wines organic status. Wines which then come into contact with non organic ingredients cannot be labelled as organic but could read “made with organic grapes.”
At the end of the day, there are many great tasting wines out there, some organic, some not. If you are going to go down the organic route then make sure you are buying the real deal.
A truly organic wine can’t be made unless it comes from organic grapes. This means that the grapes used must be grown without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides or herbicides that are used to protect vines from pests and managing weeds. Wineries have had to come up with new ways of combating these pests using things from the natural world.
Once the organic grapes are harvested, any other additive that is usually introduced at the winery such as yeast must also be organic or it will compromise the wines organic status. Wines which then come into contact with non organic ingredients cannot be labelled as organic but could read “made with organic grapes.”
At the end of the day, there are many great tasting wines out there, some organic, some not. If you are going to go down the organic route then make sure you are buying the real deal.
Wednesday 12 January 2011
Wine Accompanying a Meal
When choosing a wine to accompany a meal, the general idea is to choose white wine for a light meal and red for a heavier meal.
This being that a light meal such grilled chicken or fish would suit being accompanied by a white wine or maybe even a good rose wine, as the flavour of the meal wouldn’t overpower the wine and vice versa.
Red wine has a stronger flavour and is more suited to heartier meals such as red meats with rich sauces.
These general rules are only a guideline and it can be good to experiment. Trust your own palate as no one can tell you what you like or dislike. The most important thing is that you enjoy the wine and the food.
This being that a light meal such grilled chicken or fish would suit being accompanied by a white wine or maybe even a good rose wine, as the flavour of the meal wouldn’t overpower the wine and vice versa.
Red wine has a stronger flavour and is more suited to heartier meals such as red meats with rich sauces.
These general rules are only a guideline and it can be good to experiment. Trust your own palate as no one can tell you what you like or dislike. The most important thing is that you enjoy the wine and the food.
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