Besides the undeniable fact that this type of wine is made explicitly for cooking, it also has many other attributes. So let’s talk about all of them.
How Is It Different From Regular Wine?
One word. Quality. Regular wine is much higher in quality, which is why cooking wines are so much cheaper if we compare the two.
Cooking wines are not made for drinking. It is made as an ingredient in a dish consisting of a lot of things, which is why it doesn’t have a fine flavor. It tastes awful by itself, so make sure to check the label when you go wine shopping!
Would It Be Okay To Drink?
Well, it certainly isn’t poisonous, if that’s what you are worried about. The most harm it causes is a bit of a tummy ache, but that’s only because of the salt in it, which is the main reason why it shouldn’t be drunk. Not because it can give you some pain, but because it’s salty. Also, check out “What Happens if You Drink Bad Wine” for more helpful tips to avoiding getting sick from wine.
Cooking wine has additional salt in it because it’s what gives dishes the required taste. It makes this kind of wine mimic the effects of real wine. Unfortunately, though, this method of “copying” doesn’t work well, as it doesn’t give the food the same rich taste as real wine does.
But even if you want to have a nice drink, but don’t have much money I don’t recommend trying out cooking wine. It will most definitely not be an enjoyable experience. You could very easily end up with sodium poisoning.
But if your goal is to get drunk, then it can certainly be done with it. Cooking wine still has a low level of alcohol in it. Not nearly as much as regular wine, but still some. If you drink a bottle of it, then you will consume four beers worth of alcohol.
(Note: Yes, you can buy cooking wine even if you’re underage, but please don’t drink it!)
Advantages of Using Cooking Wine
Well, there certainly aren’t many.
The most outstanding one is its’ shelf life. It can still be used after 3-4 months after opening, and that is mainly because of the salt. This means that you can use the same bottle for up to 10-12 meals over the course of months.
But you can even extend the shelf life by freezing it in cubes then taking out a couple when you later need it. This works well, so you might be able to use the same cooking wine for eight months. Check out “How to Store Wine After Opening” to see tips on storing your wine at home.
Another thing is the price of cooking wine. But it’s cheap for a good reason. Although, if you are okay with a saltier and less rich taste, then I suppose it can work as well. But not many people recommend it.
The Disadvantages of Using Cooking Wine
Well, where do I start? Let’s go with what professional chefs and cooks think about it.
Most people who cook for a living believe that cooking wine should not be used in any kitchen. Not in restaurants, not in homes. However, professionals think that it can only make a dish worse, so it’s better to buy a bottle of ordinary wine.
But that is not all. If you buy cooking wine, then you might as well buy regular, because you can easily add a spoonful of salt to an ounce of it and it will be the same. But better. This process only takes a couple of seconds too, so there’s no reason to not go with this.
Cooking wine is not necessarily a good thing to use, but if that’s your thing, then do so. But keep in mind how much salt you’re taking in.
But if cooking wine was never really your preference then don’t force it. Just because the name makes you think it’s for cooking, you don’t have to use it at all costs. Let us know in the comments if you’ve ever tried cooking with actual cooking wine. Did you taste how salty it was?! Be sure to also check out our other piece on cooking wine called “What is Cooking Wine?“.
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Thank you for reading! We’ll uncork ya later!! ?