White Wine
Dry white wine is a common cooking liquid used to deglaze pans, build pan sauces, and add acidity and depth to seafood, poultry, and risotto across French, Italian, and Spanish cooking.
How to buy
Choose a dry, unoaked or lightly oaked white wine you'd also be happy drinking -- cooking wines sold specifically for that purpose are often salted and lower quality. A crisp Sauvignon Blanc or dry Pinot Grigio is a safe, versatile choice for most savory dishes.
How to store
Once opened, keep white wine tightly sealed in the fridge, where it stays good for cooking for about a week even as it fades for drinking. Unopened bottles keep for a year or more in a cool, dark spot.
Culinary profile
- Flavor
- Bright and acidic with fruity or mineral notes depending on the wine, mellowing and concentrating as it reduces during cooking, which also cooks off most of the raw alcohol taste.
- Texture
- Thin and liquid on its own, but it thickens a sauce as it reduces, especially once butter or cream is whisked in afterward.
- Aroma
- A bright, fruity or floral smell that turns sharper when raw but mellows into a pleasant tang once reduced and cooked into a sauce.
How to prepare
- Used to deglaze — Poured into a hot pan after searing to lift browned bits and start a pan sauce.
- Reduced into sauce — Simmered down to concentrate flavor before adding butter or cream.
- Used as a steaming liquid — Simmered with shellfish or vegetables to create a flavorful, wine-infused broth.
- Added to risotto — Stirred in early to deglaze the pan and add acidity before the stock is added.
Classic dishes
American
- White wine cream sauce for pasta — A simple reduction of white wine, cream, and garlic tossed with pasta.
- Steamed mussels in white wine broth — An American take on classic French-style mussels, served with crusty bread for dipping.
Italian
- Chicken piccata — Pan-seared chicken finished in a bright sauce of white wine, lemon, and capers.
- Linguine alle vongole — Clams steamed open in white wine and garlic, tossed with linguine.
- Risotto — A creamy rice dish traditionally deglazed with white wine before the stock is added.
French
- Moules marinière — Mussels steamed in a broth of white wine, shallot, and butter.
- Coq au vin blanc — A lighter, white-wine version of the classic braised chicken dish.
- Beurre blanc — A butter sauce built on a reduction of white wine, vinegar, and shallot.
- Sauce suprême — A classic French velouté enriched with cream and brightened with a touch of white wine.
Mediterranean
- Mediterranean grilled fish with white wine marinade — Fish marinated in white wine, lemon, and herbs before grilling.
Spanish
- Paella de marisco — A Spanish seafood paella often finished with a splash of white wine for brightness.
- Sangría blanca — A refreshing white wine punch mixed with fruit and a splash of liqueur.
- Zarzuela de marisco — A Catalan seafood stew built on a white wine and tomato-based broth.
German
- Rieslingsauce — A creamy German white wine sauce served over fish, often made with Riesling.
- White wine braised pork — Pork braised slowly in white wine, onion, and herbs until tender.
Substitutions
- Lemon — For a non-alcoholic alternative in sauces, combine a splash of lemon juice with water or stock to mimic the acidity, though the flavor will be sharper and less rounded.