Whether you’re sober, pregnant, or simply drank all the red wine and are too tipsy to drive to the store for more, there are plenty of great substitutions if your recipe calls for red wine and you don’t have a bottle.
Why cook with wine?
There are a number of wonderful culinary reasons one may choose to cook with wine. Adding wine to a dish can enhance its flavor, aroma, sweetness, and complexity. Depending on the wine you choose and the dish you’re cooking, it can also bring some welcome acidity to a dish, as well as help to tenderize your proteins.
It is important to keep in mind, too, that the wine you cook with should be a wine you also enjoy drinking. Contrary to popular opinion, the flavor of wine doesn’t go away when cooked. Especially not when it’s added to a dish that isn’t heated through. Depending on the heat level used to cook a dish, the wine’s flavor and alcohol content can both remain strong in a dish.
This doesn’t mean that you need to spend more than a few bucks on a bottle of wine you plan on using only for one recipe. There are plenty of beautiful wines on the market that are ideal for cooking and won’t break the bank. But if you’re looking to use a wine substitute, things get a bit more complicated.
Red wine substitutes in cooking
There are plenty of reasons one may opt out of using red wine in their cooking, but still want the rich, savory depth of character cooking with it can bring. To that, we say, no problem. The culinary world is an expansive one, rich with wine or other alcohol-based substitutions that are every bit as delicious, no booze required.
Can you sub red wine for red wine vinegar?
It should first be clearly stated that red wine and red wine vinegar are two very, very different ingredients. Yes, red wine vinegar is made from red wine, but that doesn’t mean that it would be pleasant to pour yourself a glass of red wine vinegar and savor it. Not unless you’re a psychopath.
Red wine vinegar, just like most vinegars, is pungently acidic and beautiful when used in preparations like dressings, marinades, or as a pickling aid. We also love to add a bit to finished creamy soups and sauces for an added zing. If, however, you add a splash of red wine to white wine vinegar, you will create a somewhat comparable substitute for red wine vinegar.
Can I use balsamic vinegar instead of red wine?
Depending on your dish, balsamic vinegar can often be substituted for red wine vinegar, albeit with a light hand. Balsamic vinegar is sweeter and much thicker than red wine vinegar, so less is more when you’re swapping balsamic for red wine vinegar.
If, however, you’re looking to swap balsamic vinegar for red wine, things get a bit trickier. While balsamic vinegar isn’t a great replacement for red wine, the two together make a beautiful sauce when combined and mixed with brown sugar then reduced on medium/low heat. Add this sauce to grilled vegetables for an absolutely delicious zing.
Is red cooking wine the same as red vinegar?
I’m the first to admit that I loathe anything labeled at “cooking wine” with a firey passion and have more than once referred to the stuff as “nothing but crappy vinegar.” But no, technically, red cooking wine and red vinegar are not the same thing.
Firstly, cooking wine of any variety is absolute garbage. Even in the event of wanting to replace wine with an alcohol-free substitute, it falls short as it contains alcohol. Apart from its teensy price tag, there is no good reason to ever use cooking wine. Ever. If you’re looking to cook with wine, use a real bottle and forget “cooking wine” ever existed. End of rant.
For educational purposes alone, these are the differences between red cooking wine and red wine vinegar.
Can I substitute rosé for red wine in cooking?
Rosé is a surprisingly adequate substitute for red wine. Also made from red grapes, but without the heavy tannins of some reds, rosé can usually be subbed for red wine, depending on the dish. Rosé brings a lighter, brighter touch to a recipe, but also a real depth and interest that would be missed if you skipped the wine altogether.
Substitutions for red wine
Some of our favorite red wine cooking substitutions include:
- Alcohol-free red wine
- Beef broth
- Chicken broth
- Red fruit juices (in sweet applications)
