What Is Red wine and How Can I Use It?
Red wine rewards a little know-how: how to choose it, cook it, store it, and substitute in a pinch. Browse 699 recipes to cook with it.
What is red wine?
Red wine is an alcoholic beverage, typically made of fermented red grape juice. The natural chemical balance of grapes is such that they can ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes or other nutrients.
Red wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast consumes the sugars found in the grapes and converts them into alcohol. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are used depending on the type of wine being produced.
Grape Varieties
Wine is usually made from one or more varieties of the European species Vitis vinifera. When one of these varieties is used as the predominant grape (usually defined by law as a minimum of 75% or 85%), the result is a varietal, as opposed to a blended, wine.
Tasting
Wine tasting is the sensory examination and evaluation of wine. Wines are made up of chemical compounds which are similar or identical to those in fruits, vegetables, and spices. The sweetness of wine is determined by the amount of residual sugar in the wine after fermentation, relative to the acidity present in the wine. Dry wine, for example, has only a small amount of residual sugar.
Individual flavors may also be detected, due to the complex mix of organic molecules such as esters and terpenes that grape juice and wine can contain. Experienced tasters can distinguish between flavors characteristic of a specific grape and flavors that result from other factors in wine making.
Typical intentional flavor elements in wine are those imparted by aging in oak casks; chocolate, vanilla, or coffee almost always come from the oak and not the grape itself.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 serving 5 fl oz (147g)Where found
Red wine is usually found in the beverages section or aisle of the grocery store or supermarket.
Food group
Red wine is a member of the Beverages US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.
How much does red wine weigh?
| Amount | Weight |
|---|---|
| 1 fl oz | 29 grams |
| 1 serving 5 fl oz | 147 grams |
Related
Beverages
| In Chinese: | 红葡萄酒 | |
| British (UK) term: | ||
| en français: | vin rouge | |
| en español: | vino rojo |
Recipes using red wine
There are 699 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Beef & Vegetables in Red Wine Sauce
A sophisticated main dish of beef strips marinated in red wine and accompanied by a colorful array of sweet bell peppers, this recipe is a delightful fusion of rich flavors and vibrant colors, a feast for the senses that is as visually stunning as it is gastronomically gratifying.
Beefy Chili
Beefy chili is a Texas-style chili made with fresh dried chili pod paste, ground beef, oregano, cumin, and red wine. No beans, no powder, just deep slow-simmered authentic flavor.
Hamburgers Au Poivre
Hamburgers au poivre transforms ground beef patties into bistro fare with a cracked pepper crust, cognac flambé, and red wine pan sauce. Steak au poivre on a weeknight budget.
Vegetable Spaghetti Sauce
This delicious spaghetti sauce is loaded with heart healthy ingredients. After trying this sauce, you will always skip the store-bought ones.
Best Meatballs & Spaghetti Sauce
Italian meatballs and spaghetti sauce simmer parmesan-laced beef meatballs in a wine-spiked tomato sauce with onion, garlic, green pepper, basil, and oregano. Weeknight ready in 45 minutes.
Pears Poached in Red Wine
Pears poached in red wine simmer halved pears in a cinnamon-spiked syrup of dry red wine, sugar, and lemon juice. Classic French bistro dessert, served warm or chilled.
Indian Gazpacho
Indian gazpacho with hot green chiles, garlic, and dry red wine in a chilled tomato-based vegetable soup. The South Asian spin on Spanish gazpacho with a slow-burn heat.
Meatless Monday Chili
Vegan chili made hearty with marinated tempeh, kidney beans, mushrooms, and a long simmer in tomato and vegetable stock. Deep, savory, slow-cooked Meatless Monday meal.
Yummy Spaghetti with Meatballs
Spaghetti and meatballs simmered in a slow-cooked tomato sauce with red wine, mushrooms, green pepper, basil, and oregano. Tender pan-fried beef meatballs and a deeply layered sauce that builds for two hours.
Yummy Spaghetti with Meatballs
Spaghetti and meatballs simmered in a slow-cooked tomato sauce with red wine, mushrooms, green pepper, basil, and oregano. Tender pan-fried beef meatballs and a deeply layered sauce that builds for two hours.
Pear Almond Clafouti with Red Wine Glaze
A whole-wheat vegan pear clafouti with almond meal base, naturally sweetened with fruit juice concentrate, finished with a glossy red wine glaze. A French-inspired dessert without dairy or refined sugar.
Carol's Moosewood Vegetarian Chili
Moosewood-style vegetarian chili with kidney beans, bulgur wheat, fresh tomatoes, peppers, and a warm chili-cumin spice mix. A hearty, protein-rich plant-based main from the iconic Ithaca cookbook tradition.
Moussaka I
Classic Greek moussaka with layers of browned eggplant, seasoned ground beef with red wine and cinnamon, and a rich bechamel sauce baked until golden and bubbling. A hearty Mediterranean casserole that serves 10.
Penne All'Arrabbiata
Fiery penne all'arrabbiata with pancetta, crushed Roma tomatoes, capers, green olives, anchovies, and hot chili peppers simmered in red wine. A bold, spicy Italian pasta ready in 45 minutes.
Burt Reynold's Stew
Burt Reynolds' red wine beef stew from a 1984 celebrity Christmas book, with round steak browned in bacon fat, simmered in wine and tomato sauce, then finished with potatoes, carrots, celery, and mushrooms.
BBQ Lamb Ribs
BBQ lamb ribs grilled until the skin crisps, then brushed with a honey, soy and red wine glaze over a cooling fire so it caramelizes instead of burning. Juicy, tangy ribs straight off the grill.
Grilled Mahi mahi, Red Onion Couscous, Chunky Papaya Avocado Salsa
Dolphin fish, AKA Mahi mahi served on top of a red onion couscous with a fresh Papaya Avocado salsa. Wonderfully presented and delicious.
Red Wine Braised Roots Vegetables & Mushrooms
In this fabulous recipe, we use several kinds of seasonal root vegetables, braising them with red wine, let the whole dish become more tasty, you can serve it as a vegetarian dish or a side-dish with turkey, chicken or beef.
Bert Greene's Peppered Chili
Bert Greene's peppered chili layers ground beef and beef shoulder strips with three different chiles (mild ground, caribe, fresh serrano). Slow-baked three hours with red wine, fresh tomatoes, and herbs. Kidney beans go in last. A serious cook's chili.
Cold Plum Soup
Silky cold plum soup with red wine, brandy, sour cream, and warm cinnamon, chilled until velvety smooth. A refreshing Eastern European fruit soup that works as an elegant starter or a light summer dessert.
Black Bean Beef & Pork Chili
Black bean chili built on two meats: cubed stewing beef and pork shoulder browned with onions, peppers and jalapeños, then simmered with tomatoes, cumin and a splash of red wine. Thick, smoky, deeply savory.
Keir's Orange Roughy Fillet & Baked Garlic Asparagus
A mild sauce over broiled orange Roughy fish with baked garlic asparagus
Merry Christmas Fruitcake
Traditional Christmas fruitcake with brandy-soaked candied citrus peel, citron, currants, and raisins, deeply spiced and aged in a tin with periodic brandy basting before the holidays.
Loaded Spicy Chili with Italian Sausage & Ground Beef
Loaded chili built on three meats, ground beef, hot Italian sausage, and smoked sausage, with kidney beans, a layered hit of serrano and habanero heat, and a splash of red wine. Thickened with cornmeal and tastes even better the next day.
