Red wine suggestions .....

[Saracen]

... FOR COOKING.

I've finally exhausted my supply of red wine, and am after recommendations for a decent wine, at a sensible price for cooking.

Not too expensive, but not cheap plonk either.

We don't drink it, so it is ONLY for cooking, but nonetheless, I work on the basis that it still needs to be decent.

Oh, and mainstream suppliers, so supermarket or large chain please. I'm not going to mail order a bottle of two.

Thanks.

[abaxas]

Go to aldi and buy whatever is 4-5 quid a bottle.

End of.

[Saracen]

Thanks, but I'm hoping for something a bit more specific, based on people having used specific wines. If not, I'll go to somewhere like Waitrose and pick whatever seems half decent.

[kalniel]

Kind of depends how you are using in for cooking, but a good all rounder would be:

Wolf blass yellow label cab sav.

Good enough to drink, but obtainable on offer or at costco etc. around 6-7 quid a bottle so might be acceptable for cooking as well - has enough body to impart good flavour but works for more delicate sauces too.

If you need to go cheaper then look at some of the grand reserva valdepenas (tempranillo) - same sort of thing as rioja, but much cheaper, still imparts the same oaky/full bodied flavour in cooking as rioja. Good for pasta/meat sauces, not so much for a more delicate sauce.

Another one that I know was used by an excellent local brasserie was something called 'roaring red' - a cheapish blend, but kind of hits the highlights of a full bodied red without necessarily having the subtlety needed for a great drinking wine. Don't know of any 'to-end-user' suppliers though, so might be tricky to get hold of.

[Zak33]

Cuvee De Richard Red from Majestic

£5

http://www.majestic.co.uk/find/categ...oduct-is-09357

buy, cook

good every year. Makes v good gravy.

[Saracen]

Probably wouldn't go above about a tenner per bottle, and obviously, if I can go lower than that, I will.

Will look at the suggestions. Thanks.

[g8ina]

Any decent Rioja is great for red meats (the white labelled one with the gold string is great if you can grab it half price at Ts) or with cheeses. If it's lamb, or duck/goose, you need something lighter and more acidic like a Beaujolais, or maybe a Fleurie, Cotes du Rhone. The red Marlboroughs are good as are *most* of Hardys, esp the Crest Cab Merlot if half price at a fiver, (not the Stamp though). +1 for Wolf Blass although the Yellow has gone off in the past 8 years or so, not sure how it is now.

As Keith Floyd said "dont cook with any wine you are not prepared to drink on it's own!

[g8ina]

also see : http://forums.hexus.net/hexus-hotpot...re-please.html

[format]

Speaking from a chef's perspective, it doesn't really matter. Use as cheap a wine as possible and you're highly unlikely to discern a difference.

[flearider]

Speaking from a chef's perspective, it doesn't really matter. Use as cheap a wine as possible and you're highly unlikely to discern a difference.

yep i'll second that we use wine we buy in for about £1 a bottle ..it's a base flavour it's what you add after thats important ..

[Clingy]

yep i'll second that we use wine we buy in for about £1 a bottle ..it's a base flavour it's what you add after thats important ..

Couldn't disagree more. I am a firm believer (speaking from a consumers perspective ) that if you wouldn't drink it, don't cook with it. Yep Rioja is a good bet, and I do favour Wolf Blass Yellow Label. But perhaps something a bit different like a Malbec or Pinotage? If I come across something specific I'll post link.

[Saracen]

I ended up with a Shiraz Carbernet Sauvignon (2012) called The Whale Caller. It's a South African "Cape" Shiraz, and seems pleasant enough for the job. I wanted a bottle, right now, for a recipe and it was the best I could get, right at that time. Seems okay to drink, too, from a sip I had, but I don't drink the stuff so I'm not really qualified to tell.

I only got one bottle though, just as a test.