What happens to the wine during the cooking process?
Not all the alcohol evaporates during the cooking process. The concentration of residual alcohol that remains in the dish depends on the length of time and way in which it’s cooked. For example, boiling a sauce for 25 minutes removes far more alcohol than merely baking a dish for 15 minutes. Depending on the heat and length of cooking, as much as 40% of the alcohol can remain in the food. Ethanol boils at a much lower temperature than water (78C), so with an increase in heat, the alcohol content decreases, leaving residual sugar and acidity, so if a sauce is overly reduced, it can taste acidic and become caramelised. How important is the choice of wine? Crucially it’s the type of wine used that can make so much difference. Reds typically introduce colour, weight and a dry characteristic, from the tannin present. There’s far more tannin in a Claret than there is in a Beaujolais, so bear this in mind. Big reds such as Shiraz/Syrah, Zinfandel, Barolo and Amarone are perfect for big, wintr
