Obviously I am not here to train or teach anyone how to cook or how to drink. But I can offer some information why sometimes wine has an important use in some dishes, but one thing I've learned myself and I would like to share with all of you: having a glass while cooking makes the whole experience of culinary art much better. To be honest, you are free to drink your wine straight for the bottle when flipping that steak in the pan while balancing on one leg or even from a straw in a paper-cup while headbanging to the tunes of AC/DC at double speed. But please if you insist in performing this or some similar acrobatics, send me a photo. It will be massively appreciated.
You're not going to use all the bottle in your cooking anyway so you shouldn't be worried that wine will run out. The food requires just a small amount of wine for the flavour and you can add it gradually. One tip is to avoid the wines that says ''COOKING WINE'' on their label as those, not too many people know, contain quite a large amount of salt and additives.
I'm not saying to waste a whole bottle of wine for soaking your steak (Red wine but not necessary) or your vegetables now, but you can add a small amount to your marinating process.
''Like Merlin the wizard who acquired a new kind of sight that gave him the power to see not just what is on the surface of things, but what underneath the surface. Merlin can see not only with his eyes, but also with his heart''
Now that you know who Merlin is, let's get back to marinating. Wine basically does the same. It has the power to see underneath the surface, meaning tenderizing the meat and as for vegetables, enhancing and intensifying their aroma and flavours.
Sweet wines are any type of wine that has a noticeable level of sweetness. Actually one of the best ways to measure the sweetness of the wine is... yes, to taste it or to look at the residual sugar concentration, but that's too technical and requires research.
When it comes to sweet wine, pick any from the shelf, open it and pour yourself a glass. Now close your eyes and just enjoy. It's like listening to your favourite motivational song. It brings out a smile at first while you listen to that music, and after few moments you start to hear and understand the deep meaning of the words and sing along. This is sweet wine, ladies and gentlemen, has layers and layers of hidden flavours that only if you appreciate it you can actually feel.
Happiness in a liquid state, with ABV (Alcohol by Volume). You can have it with any type of desserts. It's just where it should be.
''At the end of the day, you really can’t make a wrong choice.
As long as you pay attention to what it is that you don’t like about a wine
each bottle will get you closer to what you do like.
Take it one glass at a time!''