Even a hardened wine critic can appreciate the depth of flavour a slug of red, white or rosé can bring to a dish – just make sure to use the good stuff. The general rule is never to cook with any wine that you wouldn't drink, so avoid using wine you'd sooner thin your nail polish with in casseroles and stews.
What does wine add to a dish besides its practical use for deglazing? It's an excellent way to use up leftover wine that may otherwise turn into vinegar. First, what you start with is crucial: the wine shouldn't be faulty in any way, as while you can burn off the alcohol, you won't be able to eradicate any further sins, such as the unmistakable wet dog aroma of corked wine.
The base principles of what wine to use mirror those of general food pairing: red wine with red meat, white with white meat and fish. But you can take things a step further and incorporate wine into the ingredients themselves. Chef-patron of Jikoni and Guardian columnist Ravinder Bhogal uses it to make a compound butter: reduce a large glass of leftover wine with a chopped shallot by about two-thirds, then fold it into 250g softened butter, roll into a log and keep in the fridge. You can also pour leftover wine into ice cube trays and freeze for up to two months.
Adriann Ramirez, head of pastry at Finks in north London, recommends poaching fruit with wine for desserts: red wine pairs well with figs, rosé with stone fruits, and white with pears. Poach on a low heat to retain some booziness. For a specific recommendation, try using pedro ximénez to poach pears.
Wine recommendations include: The Long Road Viognier (£18.50, Tesco, 13.5%) for a fruit-forward roundness in casseroles; Atlantique Bordeaux Rose Wine (£8, Sainsbury's, 12%) for salmon or peaches; Silk & Spice Portuguese Red Blend (£12, Waitrose, 13.5%) for ragus; and Diatomists Pedro Ximénez (£19.50, Diatomists, 15%) for poaching pears, which keeps in the fridge for two weeks.
