Wine sauces are prepared with wine as the main ingredient, enriched with butter, herbs, onion, garlic and other spices.
Several wines can be used, including red wine and white wine, but also spirits. There are many kinds of wine sauce, and they suit many dishes: seafood, white meats, red meats.
Cooking with wine is a way to enrich your recipes and turn a dish into something your guests will remember — and a good way to use up an open bottle or the last glass left in the fridge. Best of all, these sauces are easy to make.
Recipe one
Simple red wine sauce, with Chianti Crete Rosse DOCG
One of the simplest sauces to prepare, and perfect for dressing plain meat slices or a roast on its own.
Ingredients (for 4 people):
- 50 cl red wine (we suggest Chianti Crete Rosse DOCG)
- 30 cl meat broth
- 30 g flour
- 50 g butter
- 1 onion
- Salt to taste
- Thyme to taste
- Laurel to taste
Clean the onion, prepare the herbs and sift the flour; let the butter soften at room temperature. Melt 30 g of the butter in a pan with the onion, then after a few minutes add the red wine, thyme and laurel leaf. Season with salt and cook over high heat until the wine has reduced by two thirds. Meanwhile work the rest of the butter with the flour, then add it to the pan with the broth. Keep cooking over high heat until the sauce reaches the right consistency, and pass it through a strainer before serving to remove any lumps.
Recipe two
Red wine sauce with berries, with Vino Nobile di Montepulciano
A sweet and sour sauce for game meats such as duck or venison.
Ingredients (for 4 people):
- 50 g butter
- 50 cl low-acidity light red wine (we suggest Vino Nobile di Montepulciano)
- 40 cl meat broth
- 150 g berries
- Salt and a pinch of nutmeg
Melt the butter in a pan over very low heat. Finely cut the berries if needed and start stewing them with the nutmeg, crushing them as they cook. After 10 minutes, add the wine and let it evaporate over moderate heat, then add the meat broth and keep reducing. Salt to taste, and once the sauce has the right density, let it cool and serve it separately alongside the meat.
Recipe three
White wine and saffron sauce, with Vernaccia di San Gimignano
Use this sauce on white meats such as chicken or rabbit, on fish, or even on vegetables like green beans and potatoes.
Ingredients (for 4 people):
- 15 cl cream
- 15 cl dry white wine (we suggest Vernaccia di San Gimignano)
- 1 sachet of saffron
- 2 shallots
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Wash and chop the shallots, then put them in a pan with the oil and let them dry over low heat without browning. Pour in the wine and, over medium heat, reduce by half. Add the cream and reduce by half again. Melt the saffron separately in 2 teaspoons of boiling water, stir it into the cream and leave it on the heat for five more minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then filter through a strainer before serving the sauce hot.
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FAQ
What types of dishes can wine sauces be used on?
Wine sauces suit seafood, white meats, and red meats. They are also suitable for dressing plain meat slices or a roast on its own.
How do I make a simple red wine sauce?
Melt 30 g of butter in a pan with an onion, then add the red wine, thyme, and laurel leaf. Cook over high heat until the wine has reduced by two thirds before adding the broth and flour mixture.
What wine is suggested for the red wine sauce with berries?
The recipe suggests using Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, which is a low-acidity light red wine. This sauce is intended for game meats such as duck or venison.
How is the white wine and saffron sauce prepared?
Sauté chopped shallots in oil over low heat without browning, then pour in the white wine and reduce by half. After adding the cream, reduce it by half again and stir in the saffron.
