Burgundy-Style Wine in a Box
Wine isn’t used just for drinking in France; it is used in cookery, including the famous braised-beef dish boeuf bourguignon. Marinating and cooking meat in Burgundy wine makes it very tender, with a robust flavour.
In the U.S., you may wish to keep a five-litre box of Almaden Mountain Burgundy (available at Sam’s and elsewhere for between 12 and 15 USD) in the kitchen for cooking. This way, a whole bottle of Burgundy, which can be expensive, doesn’t need to be opened when you just wish to add a half-cup of it to your dish. The wine is protected in an air-free vessel inside the box, and is always at-hand for occasional use in cookery. Wine on-tap on top of the refrigerator is a great boon to any creative home-cook.
©M-J de Mesterton 2010