Spicing Foods 5

People often ask me about using wine as the acid component of different dishes. They wonder whether it's OK to use cheap wine and if the type really matters. The answer is yes to all of that. Price is not an issue when it comes to cooking with wine. In fact, you probably wouldn't want to use your really expensive wines when you can accomplish the same thing with inexpensive ones. What matters is the taste. It shouldn't be "sour" tasting or something you dislike because that taste will definitely flavor your dish. I find that fruity wines are the best because they round out other tastes and blend well. Chardonnay in particular doesn't work well because when it reduces it becomes too strong. Choose something that is light to medium weight and fruity like a Riesling (white) or a Pinot Noir (red). Use a white for light colored dishes and a red for dark colored dishes. You would use, for example, a white for a fish sauce and a red for a meat sauce.