by M. Es Torrens

Created on: February 09, 2009   Last Updated: February 10, 2009

Clutching your recipe in hand while standing in the wine aisle of the supermarket, you may feel a bit overwhelmed at all the choices - especially if you aren't accustomed to cooking with or drinking wine. Don't be alarmed, you aren't alone and everyone has been there at some point in their lives! Here are a few simple guidelines for choosing a wine to add that special zip to your next dish.

1) Never buy the most expensive wine - unless you plan to drink the wine yourself and use only a few drops in the recipe.

The rich bouquet of the wine gets lots in the seasoning and the cooking, so there is no point in shelling out money for something that would taste just as good with a cheaper bottle.

2) Only buy the cheapest bottle of wine if it won't be used as a marinade and will only add a slight accent to the dish.

For example - a Coq au Vin should not be made with the $3 bottle of Chilean wine. You could, however, use this bottle to accent tomato sauces.

3) Most recipes specify the type of wine to use.

For example - Chicken Marsala calls for a Marsala wine. If you don't want to buy the wine specified, or can't find it for a reasonable price, you can substitute the wine by purchasing a wine of similar color and dryness. You would not want to replace a semi-dry with a dry in a recipe that calls for a dry red wine - unless you want a lighter flavor.

3) If you plan on serving wine with the meal, use a wine in the dish that will compliment the wine served. Again, don't mix a dry table wine with a sweeter wine in the dish.

4) White wines are the most versatile for cooking because they don't stain the food. If you don't want your pork or chicken to come out looking a bit pink, (as it does in Coq au Vin) use white wine.

Red wine is always a great choice to add to heavier dishes made with pork, beef, and especially anything involving tomato sauce.

5) While you want the wine that you drink to taste fresh, wine that you use in recipes is allowed to taste a bit flat. In fact, if you don't manage to drink up that special bottle before it starts to taste a bit off don't worry, it will still enhance your dish nicely.

6) Sweet or dessert wines should only be added to, you guessed it, desserts. There may be a few Asian dishes that break this rule but for the most part it is wise to leave the dessert wines alone.

7) Still have doubts? Read the labels of the wine, ask other shoppers mingling in the wine aisle, or ask a clerk working in that section.
Wine labels normally expound on the food that that particular wine compliments while other wine shoppers or store clerks can also offer advice and experience.

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