rockdawg9 wrote:What is up with people cooking expensive wines? The Bluejay was quite light and delicate, and would surely be obliterated by boiling. Not to rehash an annoying argument, but I just do not understand this impulse.
Understandable, but a few things:
1) I tend to have to drink the wines myself, as my wife is not a fan of reds, and I use less than a cup of it anyway, and it's slow cook, so it's not boiling away (if that matters any). I do not like to cork and save a bottle, I've found it never tastes quite right again; when I open, I finish.
> The Bluejay was quite light and delicate, and would surely be obliterated by boiling.
It wasn't obliterated by any means. It became a lovely purple glaze that added immensely to a recipe I'd "liked" before, but never really hit a homerun. This addition knocked it out of the park, as it were.
2) Better wines taste better in the cooking than cheaper ones. You get what you give, essentially. You'd use the best ingredients in cooking, ergo the good wines.
And cooking with a good wine lends a deliciousness to the piece that wouldn't suffice with a cheaper offering, in my experience.
This is also why I bring this statement and point up too: I love the Bluejay, and only have a few bottles left, ergo my choice to purchase these for cooking (in hopes that it's a similar, more economical choice).
3) I've grown up with Kosher wines and they boil everything, so I know what you're getting at - yuck! (not really a point to the argument, more a tangent!)
It may seem silly to do, but in many dishes wine adds a flavor, and often a glaze that cannot be explained but in the tasting. I take enjoyment from food and cooking as seriously as I do with wines. I don't feel I lose anything, but rather gain from the experience.
Wine is a great tenderizer for tougher meats, and adds a quality to stews and tough roasts that is almost heavenly. A good cabernet or merlot can do wonders for a beef stew - though I tend to use more average wines rather than, say, a Corison offering.
In the end though, people do things that others may scratch their head at, but one thing holds true: One's experience and preferences, thankfully, don't have to conform to other's standards. I do understand what you're getting at and I'm not "dissing" your opinion, merely stating mine.
As long as we take joy from the wine, no matter how it's used, then that's all that really matters. And for what it's worth, my pork loin glaze is a favorite among my family, including some really picky kids, so I consider it a coup.
Enjoy in good times and in good health!
