DiningBuzz! - Substituting red wine for white in a recipe?

A recipe I'm interested in trying calls for white wine, but I only have red wine at home. Can I substitute that instead, or is it going to dramatically change the taste? Likewise, can I use regular wine, or do I need cooking wine or some such?

I apologize for the seemingly stupid questions, but I don't use wine to cook that frequently, and I don't drink much wine, since I'm more of a beer person. :) On the rare occasion I do drink wine, it's usually red wine, hence why I don't have white wine at home. :D

Thanks!

I substitute red all the time since I generally don't want to open a bottle of white since I won't drink it once it's open. Once in a while I'll go buy a 4 pack of mini bottles of white (Sutter Home maybe?) to have around when I'm cooking something that red really won't work for (like risotto).

cooking wine is yuck.

Fancy cooks will tell you to never cook with a wine you aren't willing to drink, but I don't drink any white wine, so it doesn't bother me to just use the cheapest possible bottle.

Two buck chuck is your friend :)

I substitute red all the time since I generally don't want to open a bottle of white since I won't drink it once it's open. Once in a while I'll go buy a 4 pack of mini bottles of white (Sutter Home maybe?) to have around when I'm cooking something that red really won't work for (like risotto).

cooking wine is yuck.

Fancy cooks will tell you to never cook with a wine you aren't willing to drink, but I don't drink any white wine, so it doesn't bother me to just use the cheapest possible bottle.

Two buck chuck is your friend :)
Thanks! I didn't want to buy white wine since I usually won't drink it, although I never thought of the mini bottles.

I think I'll try it with red tonight, and if it's lousy, then I'll opt for the mini bottles of white. :)

Thanks!

While I never use recipes, I have bascially always used white wine with mussels, I was out, so made mussels in wild rice with a red wine.

I put a hint of smoked paprika in it, which I would not do with a white wine, and wow, it turned out so good I WILL be making it again!

I think it totally depends on what you are making. Most of the time it won't be a problem at all, but if for example you are making a white clam sauce, a red wine will taste just fine, but will make it look funny.

There are a few delicate sauces that I would not want to use a Pinot or Cabernet for if it usually used a Sauvignon Blanc, things like that.

A lot of people overlook the fact that some white wine is made from red or black grapes ..... it is the skin that makes red wine red .... not the grape juice. All grape juice is pretty much the same colour.

So I'd be more inclined to judge what wine you cook with as being more dependent on what proteins you are using. And a good rule of thumb is to cook with what wine you'd choose to drink alongside the completed dish.

One other thing. I'm not ashamed to say that many of the dishes I cook with wine I use Noily Prat. I sometimes use a red vermouth when makeing sauces for things like steaks if I'm in the mood for that type of steak. I use it for sauces etc and of course it keeps well in the fridge and is therefore always available for cooking as well as the odd Dry Martini. No good for dishes calling for whole bottles of wine but the great thing about cooking with vermouths is that they have really interesting herbs in them and as long as you are light with them they can add some distinctive tones.

So always keep two bottles of vermouth in.

I used red wine for the recipe. I really liked it, Mr. Kipper didn't care for it. He ate a portion of it, then ate leftovers from earlier in the week. I won't complain, since it just means that I'll have some leftovers. :)

A lot of people overlook the fact that some white wine is made from red or black grapes ..... it is the skin that makes red wine red .... not the grape juice. All grape juice is pretty much the same colour.


The skins add a lot of flavor, some that people like, and others don't. I personally keep a bottle of grape must around for flavor in certain dishes, it is an amazing item if used properly.

cooking wine is yuck.
+1
I think it totally depends on what you are making.
+1
if for example you are making a white clam sauce, a red wine will taste just fine, but will make it look funny
-1. Most reds would make such a shellfish dish taste funny.
A lot of people overlook the fact that some white wine is made from red or black grapes ..... it is the skin that makes red wine red .... not the grape juice. All grape juice is pretty much the same colour.
Little still white wine is made from red grapes; I can't
think of any offhand, but I'm sure they exist. It's a bit
more frequent that white juice creeps into red wine.

+1

Little still white wine is made from red grapes; I can't
think of any offhand, but I'm sure they exist. It's a bit
more frequent that white juice creeps into red wine.

Pinot Noir is a primary grape in the making of Champagne as are many red grapes used in Rose and blushes and a few white stills.

A lot of people drink champagne and would be suprised to hear the predominant grape is black ..................

Pinot Noir is a primary grape in the making of Champagne as are many red grapes used in Rose and blushes and a few white stills.

A lot of people drink champagne and would be suprised to hear the predominant grape is black ..................

Unfortunately, IMMENSE amounts of White Zinfandel are still made in the U.S. as well.

Actually a light fruity red with good acidity could probably substitute for whites in most recipes with little difficulty. OTOH, I wouldn't use a robust Cab or Syrah where a white was called for, but a Beaujolais or a young light Pinot Noir or Grenache or similar would probably be fine.

-1. Most reds would make such a shellfish dish taste funny.



Not if you add extra seasons to compliment the wine, and it is a more 'hearty' shellfish in mussels :)

OMG! Never ever subsitute robust reds for white! Blasphemy! Heresy! Are you nuts? :D

Seriously, I would never do this, but if it works for you, meh, who cares?

what did you make... and did it work out?

what did you make... and did it work out?
I combined cream cheese with chives, cream of mushroom soup, wine, and chicken in the crock pot, then when that was ready, cooked pasta, and served that on top of the pasta. I enjoyed it, Mr. Kipper didn't care for it.

Don't ever do that. The crockpot doesn't get hot enough
to get the alcohol out in a typical session. If you want
the flavor benefits of the wine, heat it to boiling before
putting it in the crock.

Don't ever do that. The crockpot doesn't get hot enough
to get the alcohol out in a typical session. If you want
the flavor benefits of the wine, heat it to boiling before
putting it in the crock.

Is there a problem with having some alcohol left after cooking?

All grape juice made into wine is initially white. Reds are steeped with the red skins for an extended period of time, extracting the color and other compounds (tannins, etc.)

In a recipe, wine is typically used for its acidity and flavor. Substituting red for white will typically provide much of the acidity, along with color. What you typically don't want in a white wine recipe that may be a problem are the tannins and any strong oak/wood flavor, which could become harsh and bitter in a white wine recipe, which is typically lighter. The oak/wood issue is why many "California-style" heavily oaked Chardonnays are not great for cooking. (Also the secondary malolactic fermentation reduces the apparent acidity of the wine).

That said, there may be many cases where these qualities would not be a problem. There are certainly many light red wines with limited tannins and oak for which you could make an interesting substitution.

Disagree red==white in terms of cooking... Yes, the same grapes may be used but as has been said tannins plus the aging (ie what oaks are used) creates a entirely different beast..

OP: Some recipes (sauces) you can use brandy (carefully!) and some places (SOME!) beer can be used... Usually a not-to-hoppy ale...

Some cask wines are actually ok and last up to a month... I had a dry month and we had a cask of red for cooking (so as to escape the "oh well, we have an open bottle of wine" excuse) and it worked well in red sauces/roasts etc...

Disagree red==white in terms of cooking... Yes, the same grapes may be used but as has been said tannins plus the aging (ie what oaks are used) creates a entirely different beast..

OP: Some recipes (sauces) you can use brandy (carefully!) and some places (SOME!) beer can be used... Usually a not-to-hoppy ale...

Some cask wines are actually ok and last up to a month... I had a dry month and we had a cask of red for cooking (so as to escape the "oh well, we have an open bottle of wine" excuse) and it worked well in red sauces/roasts etc...
I'd be hard-pressed to find a not-too-hoppy beer in our house. :D

Yep - if you can taste the alcoholiness, that's points against.

Yep - if you can taste the alcoholiness, that's points against.

Why?

'cause it tastes acrid, the way rubbing alcohol smells
(and tastes).

'cause it tastes acrid, the way rubbing alcohol smells
(and tastes).

I didn't notice that taste at all.

Cooking wine typically contains salt. If you use it, make sure you adjust the seasoning accordingly.

Personally, I would not use cooking wine. I use red wines in braised meat dishes and white in pretty much any other cooking application.