The delicate flavours of most white wines will be masked by most ingredients during a cooking process. If the recipe you are using calls for a dry white wine, it’s best to follow that advice since if sugar is inadvertently added in the process, there is a chance of significantly altering the dish. My view is that serious wines are generally wasted in cooking, since their subtleties and delicate nuances, their texture and length of flavour are generally sacrificed. There is a school of thought that says that you should cook with the wine that you intend to drink as an accompaniment to the dish, but I have yet to hear any credible reason why that should be so. But, for the same reason that you wouldn’t cook with a bad ingredient, don’t cook with wine that might be faulty, too old or tired. You’re likely to cook with fresh ingredients, so choose a wine that is lively, fresh and clean, preferably with refreshing acidity and uncomplicated flavour. Young rieslings, sauvignon blancs and semillons will typically offer pleasing vitality and acidity.
