Red wine is a great drink to have at the end of a long, hard day. Especially, when you want something a bit stronger and more sophisticated than a beer. But, have you tried using red wine in cooking? Let’s take a look at some shocking red wine recipes from desserts to appetizers that you can make fabulous with just a bit of red vino!
Grilled Cheese
Food blog, BS’ in the Kitchen, has crafted an elevated cheese and wine sampler with a Cabernet Sauvignon reduction grilled cheese: gooey Gruyere, sauteed onions, and some mixed-in herbs between two slices of bread make for a night at a wine bar!
Popsicles
Cocktails like Bloody Mary and tiki-tastic Blue Hawaii can be turned into popsicles, but a wine-sicle is as easy as combining red wine and a type of juice into a mold for freezing! Try the red wine and lime popsicle from Baking Mischief‘s blog.
Pasta
Any pasta is good pasta, but combining plain water and red wine will allow your pasta to soak up all the vino and create a rich, complex flavor. It may be helpful to go over our rules for pairing wine with food here.
Lollipops
Pinot Noir lollies from Portland-based QUIN Candy are great for highlighting the cherry and blackberry notes of red wine, but with a simple lollipop mold, you can make the same thing at home with your favorite vino!
Brownies
“Spiking” brownies are nothing new, but adding red wine takes brownies to a whole new level. Food blog, A Cookie Named Desire, made the classiest red wine brownies with “drunken cranberries” – dried cranberries soaked in even more red wine goodness. I’ll have five!
Hot Chocolate
Pouring red wine into some hot chocolate is the simplest way to combine two liquid favorites – check out our variation with dark chocolate, cinnamon, and red wine along with our apple cider wine, mulled wine, and Swedish glogg recipes.
Truffles
Well Plated blogger brings dark chocolate and Cabernet together for a single heavenly bite. A few of these in a heart-shaped box to take the place of run-of-the-mill dollar store chocolate, and you’ve got a romantic homemade gift for a loved one on Valentine’s Day to sweep them off their feet! (or a well-deserved treat for yourself, we won’t tell)
Gravy
Holiday roasts everywhere will thank you for a drizzle of smooth, red wine gravy. Just add your favorite vegetables, mushroom broth, tamari, cranberry sauce, and red wine to create a gravy worthy of everything from roast lamb to beef tenderloins to a good Tofurkey. Thanksgiving will never be the same with this savory red wine recipe!
There is almost no limit to the ways to use red wine in cooking. Whether it’s a meal for yourself or a small party – try creating your very own red wine culinary masterpiece!
