The idea that when you cook a dish that uses wine, the heat of the cooking will eventually burn off all of the alcohol, turns out to be a myth.

There are some cooks who like the taste that wine imparts to cooked food, but they don’t like the thought of their dish being alcoholic, even if it’s very slightly so.  So they proceed, assuring themselves that the alcohol is being evaporated or otherwise destroyed by the cooking process.

Sorry, but the truth is that it’s impossible to cook all of the alcohol out of any food to which is has been added.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture tested a half-dozen recipes containing alcohol.  The department’s researchers found in this study that alcohol has incredible staying power.

As the Mayo clinic puts it: When your Cherries Jubiliee or your Baked Alaska is ignited at your tableside, approximately 75% of the alcohol still remains when the dish is served. If the alcohol is stirred into a dish that is then baked for an hour, about 25% still remains. It has been found that 45% of the dry sherry lingers after 25 minutes of cooking scalloped oysters after 25 minutes of cooking.  Further, a trace of burgundy wine is still present after simmering a pot roast for more than two hours!

The same thing goes for alcohol in other products besides wine.  If you;ve been advised  not to consumer alcohol at all, it’s a good idea to avoid recipes calling for it, or to substitute something else, such as lemon juice or vinegar.

The short answer to this question, which we receive from time to time, is: It doesn’t. The reason people continue to ask the question is that they are often puzzled by the fact that wine vinegar labels often do not have expiration dates on them.

In a sense, though, wine vinegar is already “expired.” That is, it is wine that has expired by becoming vinegar. But as vinegar, the powerful acidity in it will inhibit just about all bacterial growth.

You might be interested to know that the Vinegar Institute conducted studies on this issue and confirmed that vinegar’s shelf life is almost indefinite. Thanks to its acid nature, vinegar is self-preserving and does not need refrigeration. White distilled vinegar will remain virtually unchanged over an extended period of time.

The same thing applies to wine vinegar, which can be found in both white and red versions. The only thing you might notice with wine vinegar, especially the red variety, is a slight color change or the development of haziness or some sediment. But even these are only aesthetic changes that will not affect the taste, quality or safety of the vinegar. The product may still be used with complete confidence.

Got an interesting question the other day from someone who says she doesn’t like to drink wine, but does enjoy the flavor that wine adds to dishes when she cooks. Now she’s planning on making a chicken dish with Swiss cheese, and would like to use a white wine in place of the water called for in the recipe.

“I have no idea what kind to get. I know the general rule is that you shouldn’t cook with a wine that you wouldn’t drink.  So what’s a girl to do if she doesn’t drink wine in the first place?”

Good question, and although we can’t suggest any other rules that would work for her in future situations of this sort, we can at least provide some options for this specific dish.

A Chardonnay would be a suitable white wine for a dish with chicken and cheese. Reisling would be another choice, as would sauvignon blanc. The best idea of all though, we think, would be a Gewurtztraminer.

Enjoy your dish.  Oh, and our congratulations to you for realizing that you don’t have to enjoy wine as a beverage to appreciate its other uses, such as in cooking.

Mmmm … creamy lasagna rollups. Sounds wonderful. So what wine would go well with such a delicious dish?

The person who is making this dish says she’s new “at this wine thing” and needs advice. Her recipe, by the way, calls for lots of fresh vegetables, ricotta and mozzarella cheese, and no meat. The creamy cheese sauce she’ll be adding will have a strong herb component, including basil and oregano. She adds: “While it does have fresh tomatoes, it’s not a typical lasagna. It’s not ‘tomatoey’ at all.”

The simple rules of wine pairing, such as “Red wine for red sauce, white wine for white sauce,”a don’t really seem to apply here. The sauce she describes does sound more “white” than “red,” but the basil and oregano tip it toward a red wine selection. Really, either white or red would probably be fine. It might be a good idea to have a bottle of each a the table and to let guests make their own choice.

For the red, a pasta dish such as this calls for a merlot or perhaps a pinot noir or cabernet sauvignon. For the white, just go with a basic Chardonnay. Those lasagna rollups sound hearty and flavorful, so we don’t think you would need to spend a lot on the wine. This is because one of the main reasons to spring for expensive wine is to experience subtle nuances unavailable in the cheaper stuff. If those nuances are just going to be overwhelmed by the food, why bother? In this case, basic (cheap) is good!

If you want a wine that is as hearty as the lasagna, you could forget the recommendations made above and go for an Italian table wine such as chianti or Valpolicella.