The encyclopaedia of gravy
Red wine adds acidity, depth and colour to beef and lamb gravies — provided it is reduced properly first.
What it does¶
Acidity, which cuts through fat and makes a gravy taste brighter. Depth, from the tannins and the fruit. Colour, deepening a brown gravy noticeably.
Reduce it¶
Raw wine in gravy tastes harsh and sour. Pour it into the hot tin, scrape up the fond, and let it bubble until reduced by at least half — two to three minutes for 150 ml. The alcohol largely cooks off and the flavour rounds out considerably.
This is the most commonly skipped step, and it is the reason some people believe they dislike wine in gravy.
Which wine¶
Something you would drink. A cheap, thin wine reduces to a cheap, thin flavour, and "cooking wine" sold with added salt is best avoided entirely.
| Style | Works with |
|---|---|
| Full-bodied red (Cabernet, Malbec, Rioja) | Beef, lamb, game |
| Medium red (Merlot, Côtes du Rhône) | Beef, sausages, pies |
| Light red (Pinot Noir) | Duck, mushroom gravies |
| White wine | Chicken, pork, turkey — see chicken gravy |
| Port, Madeira, sherry | Turkey, game, Christmas — sweet, so use less |
How much¶
100–200 ml for four to six people. Beyond that the gravy starts to taste of wine rather than of meat.
Without alcohol¶
A splash of balsamic or red wine vinegar gives the acidity without the alcohol — a teaspoon, not a splash, as it is far more concentrated. Non-alcoholic red wine works but is often sweet, so cut back on any other sweetness. Unsweetened cranberry or pomegranate juice, reduced hard, is a reasonable stand-in in a Christmas gravy.