What kind of wine do you recommend for making homemade tomato sauce?

Question

I've heard red wine is good but know nothing about wine. What kind, specifically, should I use? Thank you! I have a bunch of tomatoes from the garden and am canning some sauce!

Answer 1

if you have a trader joe's around you, go buy their brand (Charles Shaw) of cabernet- it's $1.99, tastes decent, and cooks very well!

otherwise, find a pretty good Cab, a Chianti, or any full-bodied red (Malbec, Red Zinfandel).

Answer 2

'They' say you should only cook with wine you would drink, but I can't afford the wine I like to drink, so I buy the boxed type or a nice big bottle of Riunite Lambrusco which is a somewhat sweet red wine, tasty and affordable. I just omit any sweetener I might ordinarily add to counteraffect any excessive acidity that occurs with some tomatoes so it isn't too sweet.
Any kind of red wine as long as it's not overly sweet will work in your tomato sauce. Good luck.

Answer 3

It's just so that the sauce or tomatoes will stay "meatier," and also dilute it less. Roma tomatoes already have less gel/seeds than regular tomatoes which is one reason they're used for things like that. In a pasta sauce I always leave it in though since you never know which phytonutrients, etc, are in "other" parts of a plant, and the sauce will be soupy anyway (which can be controlled in other ways). If you were going to roast the tomatoes or cook them on top of pizza or bruschetta/etc though, you might then want to remove that wet part (especially from larger tomatoes) since it will cause the tomatoes to steam more than roast.

Answer 4

I use Chianti, but any dry red wine that you would drink from a glass would work. (In other words, don't use a Port or other sweet wine.) It HAS to be one you'd drink, because when you cook with it, you get more of the flavor of the wine concentrated in your dish, and if the wine is gross, so will the dish.

If you're unsure, go to a good liquor store or wine store and get some pointers - most stores have someone who will know and help.

Answer 5

Use a cabernet or a pinot noir, don't use that sweet crap you'll ruin your sauce. These wines are dark and rich in flavor and will really add depth to your sauce. I like to add a cup to the pot after sauteeing 5 cloves garlic, 1 yellow onion and a can of tomato paste in a tablespoon+ of good olive oil, to deglaze the pan. Add your tomatoes and spices, taste and maybe add another cup of wine.

Answer 6

A port should do well.

Don't go whole hog, price wise, but don't buy it in a box. If you have a shop like Trader Joe's, any of the "two buck chuck" (ask the manager what I am talking about) red wines would work well.

When I cook soups and stocks and use wines, I will buy a little four pack of the single serving wines, since I don't drink the leftovers.

Answer 7

Homemade red wine, especially a red catawba, would be best for homemade tomato sauce.

Burgandy is nice. Grappa isn't wine, but it would do nicely as well.

Answer 8

Use a blend like a Guigal Cotes du Rhone.
It's readily available for about $12.00 a bottle. Wines made from a single grape have a tendency to get "jammy " when reduced .

Answer 9

I don't use any wine to cook with, beef broth makes a great addition, if this is a meatless marinara, you could use veggie broth.

Depending on your harvest, you may have some other veggies to puree and throw in there, it adds flavor, some texture (mainly as a thickener if pureed, I hate chunky vegetable sauces). This is a great way to disguise vegetables for children or other picky eaters and get some extra nutrients in there. You could use eggplant, zucchini or carrots, mushrooms, etc.

As for wine, I have no experience with it either. I think it would depend on how full bodied you want the sauce to be.

Another thing you could try is vodka cream sauce. It is kind of like a cross between alfredo and marinara. The vodka adds a great flavor. Goes great with any kind of pasta.

Answer 10

A nice, dry red wine is perfect. I usually use my favorite Montepulciano Abruzzo or sometimes a good Chianti. Good luck!