cooking with wine

[Archived Message]

from: Melanie
[Archived message]
subject: cooking with wine

I have a crock pot recipe that includes beef, mushroom soup and onion soup mix to be served over rice or noodles.The recipe calls for red wine.I am in no way a wine connoisseur but have heard that you should not cook with a wine that you would not drink.Does any one have any suggestions on a type of wine and particular brand that would be good in this recipe? I don't want to waste the ingredients buy using a cheap wine but by the same token don't want to go over board with it either.

Thanks

[shar999]

I would use either a cabernet sauvignon or a red zinfandel.  You can buy a small bottle for between 8 to 12 dollars.

[kh]

Supermarket wines are affordable and perfectly suitable for cooking, and drinking. Stick with any major mass market brand and you should be fine. When the recipe doesn't specify the type of wine, it usually means a dry wine -- like a cabernet if red, or chardonnay if white. You can opt for more expensive wines, but their subtleties may be lost in the everyday dish.  Hope this helps.