Check out all of our products >Saucy Sautéed Shrimp over Lemon Quinoa (Image credit: Faith Durand) Do you remember your first bite of linguine with white wine clam sauce, lobster bisque with sherry, or savory chicken Marsala? Cooking with white wine brings balance, fruit, and acidity to so many of our favorite recipes. Once you move past grocery store "cooking wine" (and I strongly advise you to do so!) and introduce even moderately priced white wine into the equation (leave that $40 Chardonnay in the wine fridge), your possibilities and cooking style expand exponentially. Here are five white wines that are each wonderful for cooking in their own way. By far, the most versatile style of wine to cook with is a dry, crisp white wine. Rich, oaky whites can become bitter during the cooking process, while sweeter whites may caramelize during deglazing or add unwanted sweetness to certain dishes. As wine cooks, it becomes an integrated part of the whole, and subtle nuances are almost always lost;

therefore, a high-quality wine is only appropriately used to finish a dish, where it will be the featured component. Unless that is the case, choose a moderately priced, quaffable white wine, and spend your extra money on quality ingredients instead. Scallops with White Wine Beurre Blanc & Lemon Orzo (Image credit: Nealey Dozier) 1. Crisp White Wine, Such as Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, and Unoaked Chardonnay - This is your go-to category. best wine for special occasionsIf possible, choose a wine that has a moderate alcohol content (ideally between 10 and 13 percent) and generous acidity. name for wine expert at restaurantHighly alcoholic wines may take longer to reduce and often do not have the necessary acidity, which adds brightness, while tenderizing.best wine bars in london

My three favorite grape varietals for cooking are Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, and unoaked Chardonnay. Pinot Grigio is the most neutral of the three, which makes it the most versatile. Sauvignon Blanc provides racy acidity, which is particularly delicious in seafood dishes or with sauces utilizing heavy cream. Chardonnay contributes the most richness of the three.buy white wine online india I know it seems counterintuitive, but avoid purchasing wines labeled, "cooking wines," for they often contain salt and other additives. best red wine with hamIn general, choose unoaked, dry, medium-bodied white wines. cost of wine by the glassIn a pinch, you can always substitute a dry vermouth. While slightly more expensive, the vermouth has a longer shelf life, which makes it a great option for those, who only imbibe occasionally.

6 Very Drinkable Crisp, Dry Whites to Cook With Duck Pond Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, Oregon, 2013, $12 Gabbiano Pinot Grigio della Venezie IGT, Italy, 2012, $8 Black Box Sauvignon Blanc Valle Central, Chile, NV, $24 (this is a 3-liter box, which represents an average $6 per bottle) Anselmi Friulano, Collio DOC, Italy, 2012, $10 Toad Hollow, Chardonnay, Mendocino County, California, 2012, $13 Mouton Cadet, Sauvignon Blanc, Bordeaux, France, 2012, $10 2. Sherry - Like Faith, I have a bottle of this in my kitchen at all times. Just this evening, I finished a pot of chicken and cauliflower soup with a dash of sherry, and it brightened the soup and added another layer of depth and dimension. Sherry is versatile: it is great for deglazing, brings depth to a cream sauce, and is brilliant alongside appetizers like oysters. My Pick for Sherry to Cook With Taylor Wine Company Dry Sherry, New York, NV, $6 3. Marsala - Although delicious in a classic chicken or veal Marsala, you should branch out and try incorporating this complex, dry wine in braised preparations.

My personal favorite way to use Marsala wine is in the decadent Italian dessert, zabaglione. My Pick for Marsala to Cook With Cantine Florio Fine Marsala Dry, Sicily, Italy, NV, $13 4. Sparkling Wine - Of course, sparkling wine is perfectly suited for a Champagne vinaigrette or a sorbet, but it is a great substitute for dry, white wine in beurre blanc. The bubbles dissipate when cooked, so this is a great opportunity to use up any leftover flat bubbly after a party (not that this is ever an issue at my house!). My Pick for Sparkling Wine to Cook With Poema Cava, Brut, Penedés, Spain, NV Scallops with Lime & Cilantro 5. Madeira - Produced in four distinct styles, Madeira is a Portuguese fortified wine from the islands of Madeira. Choose "Sercial," a dry style that doubles as a refreshing aperitif. Use Madeira in a sauce for classic Beef Wellington, as a savory addition to gravy, or as a substitute for Sherry in virtually any recipe. My Pick for Madeira to Cook With

Blandy's, "Duke of Sussex," Dry Madeira, Portugal, NV, $15 What if I Don't Cook with Alcohol? Try verjus, the pressed juice of unripened grapes. Use chicken or vegetable stock with a dash of lemon or vinegar. Opt for an alcohol-free option, like Vin Sante, made from unfermented grapes. Has anyone created or used a recipe using white Port other than a cocktail (I keep meaning to try a dessert reduction sauce this way)? I am particularly interested in finding new ways to cook with Madeira — any thoughts? Any other favorite white wines not mentioned here?Definition of 'dry white wine' ) ) ( Dry white wine is white wine that does not have a sweet taste. Definition of dry white wine from theDry red wines and dry white wines are a common request in restaurants and retailers alike. Many wine enthusiasts are quite willing to skip the sweet treats of the wine world, namely sweet red wines and sweet white wines, for the full-on palate texture of a lip-smacking dry wine.

While the vast majority of both red and white wines are made in a dry style, there are different factors that will influence how well a dry wine will display itself on the palate. The word "dry" when it comes to wine can seem a touch confusing at first after all wine is a wet, liquid made of mostly water, so how does the description of "dry" fit in the total wine picture? When someone refers to a dry wine, they are really communicating "not sweet," In the world of wine dry is truly the opposite of sweet. However, sweet is an actual taste that.your taste buds can discern, dry is more of a tactile and texture phenomenon that you perceive on the palate.So how does a winemaker determine how sweet or dry a wine will be in the bottle? It's during the process of fermentation, where the grape's innate sugar is converted to alcohol. If a vintner is going for a wine that is dry in style, then he will allow the fermentation process to run to completion, fully converting the sugar to alcohol.

If the winemaker is shooting for a sweet or off-dry (semi-sweet) style of wine, then he will stop the wine's fermentation process short. There are two ways for a winemaker to halt a fermentation. The first method for putting the brakes on fermentation is to turn down the heat. Fermentation demands a warm, consistent environment when the temp's drop so does the conversion of sugar to alcohol. The second way that fermentation can be stopped short, is by the addition of alcohol, also known as fortification. When a wine's fermentation is cut short, the remaining, unconverted sugar, known and loved as "residual sugar" stays with the wine and will be bottled in a sweeter style.Two factors play a key role in our palate's perception of "dry" in a wine.They are acidity and tannins. Acidity while present in both red and white wines, tends to be easier to showcase in a white wine. It is first detected by salivation. When you take that first sip of a white wine with decent acidity (try a New World Sauvignon Blanc for starters), your mouth will immediately begin to water.

In a red wine with decent tannin levels, your mouth will dry out a bit with that first taste sensation. Both the acidity and tannin structure of a wine will speak "dry" to your palate.When referring to a wine's innate fruit character, you're really referring to the aromatic and secondary flavor profile of a wine. The distinct fruit-like qualities of a wine, from the light to lush, the citrus to mango in white wines and the cherry to fig-like qualities in red wines, is what drives the "fruity" factor in a wine. However, a wine's tannins and acidity can kill the fruit in a wine if they are out of proportion and the wine is unbalanced. Some will associate "fruit" with "sweet," this is a slippery slope because all wines should have some fruit character present, but most wines are not classified as sweet in style. If the tannins in a red wine are light, the fruit may seem more "forward," more obvious on the palate, the same goes for light-weight acidity. So red wines with less tannin structure, made from grapes with thinner skins like a Gamay grape or Pinot Noir, will often seem more fruit-filled because the fruit character does not have to compete as readily with the tannins.

Likewise, white wines with less acidity may shove the fruit to the forefront and seem "sweeter" because of the lack of acidity, but when you look at the numbers, the residual sugar will likely still be quite low.When it comes to cooking with wine, remember the vast majority of wines are dry in style. If in doubt, check the wine's alcohol content, sweeter styled wines from Germany and Canada are often significantly lower in alcohol (6-11%) than your standard dry wine that usually weighs in at 13.5-15% alcohol. Have a favorite dry wine that you enjoy in the glass? Consider using a few splashes in the pot or pan as well - an easy way to draw the flavors of a dish out and complement it with a wine pairing when it's served.When it comes to finding a dry wine, remember that most wines are in fact dry. If you are comparing a few wines on a wine list at a restaurant, going between a Cab, Merlot or Syrah and are curious which one is the driest of them all, they will all be in the same "dry" ballpark, but you may perceive one as drier than the next due to the levels of tannin or alcohol.