Wine's complexity of flavors and aromas is one reason it works so well as an ingredient in cooking.
It All Depends upon Your Appetite
Cook with a wine you'd want to drink. With meat dishes, tannic varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon handle fats and proteins both in the pan and on the palate. Veggie dishes prefer less tannic Pinot Noir or white wines.
No Good Sauce from Bad Wine
Oxygen destroys wine, so taste any re-corked wine you had set aside for cooking. Make sure it hasn't turned vinegary--because bad wine won't magically transform itself into good sauce.
The Acid Test
When cooking with wine, use nonreactive cooking surfaces (like stainless steel or enameled cast iron) to avoid discoloration when the acid hits the pan. For best results, cook off the alcohol in an uncovered pan.
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