Most chefs in their videos always say “ use a wine you like to drink “   .   I don’t drink wine ,I drink beer . So I kinda know to use red for meats , whites for seafood , and sweets for dessert .  And fortified wines don’t need reduced . Other than that I have no clue on what to pay . Figure at least $10 -$20 range is ok ? I would not even know the difference between a  hi dollar wine vs bargain wine . Thanks in advance , did search before I posted and couldn’t find it in the tacked threads . Have a good weekend everybody !

My personal friend, Justin Wilson told me many years ago, don't cook with a wine you wouldn't drink for an accompaniment with a meal, You will be disappointed

Yessir , he is one of the cooks I am referring to . I am not a wine drinker . Just looking for suggestions on what price wines I should be looking for . Love Justin’s videos and his tales . Reminds me of my grampaw .

Spending more than 4 bucks for a cooking wine is absurd. Just make sure it's not unpalatable, like vinegar or something worse.

Thank you sir . So I should taste it before cooking with it ?  . Sorry if I seem to be a complete dummy on wine , but I am.

Yes, take a swig. If it's horribly foul, it's not good, but ten bucks is insane.

I'd extend the range to $10......but agree it should be drinkable .

I would like to add that I do taste my food as it it is cooking , just have never done wine reductions before . This is new to me , I just don’t wanna add a crappy ingredient to my food . Sorry if I’m not well informed . Thanks everybody .

It occurs to me that the other reason I prefer them drinkable is I always drink what's left while cooking. So, there's that.

Here is a good place to start reading.
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-the-best-wine-for-cooking

There is a product called cooking sherry or various "cooking wines".  Don't use them they have added salt.

Buy a decent wine that you would drink.  Taste it first.  If it doesn't taste good to you don't use it - cooking boils off the alcohol and water which will concentrate the flavor.  If it didn't taste good in the first place, it's going to taste worse after cooking.

IF YOU'RE ADDING WINE OR ANY OTHER ALCOHOL TO A HOT PAN - TAKE IT OFF THE STOVE FIRST. ESPECIALLY A GAS STOVE.

The alcohol in the wine will vaporize first and quickly in a hot pan, and especially on a gas stove may burst into a large brief flame.  You don't want the bottle near the possible flame. When you put the pan back on the burner with the wine or whatever you're using (cognac goes well with mushrooms) stand back a little in case you get flames.  Don't sweat it, the flames are very brief (and kind of cool looking, like on TV!).

Most of the wine I've liked for cooking runs 5-10 bucks a 750ml bottle.  I also like the Bolla reds in the 2 liter bottle.

Try this: make hamburgers any way you like them.  When they're done, take them out, poor off the grease and put them back in.  Pour in about half a cup of dry red wine  (I like Valpolicella, Burgundy or Merlot work) remember off the burner, let the alcohol cook off a minute or so and add half a cop or so of heavy cream to make a sauce.  Some carmelized onions are good in this too.

Julia Childs - a little for the dish and a little for me.

I like the little pints of box wine. Cheap, handy and good enough for cooking with.

I've been buying the 4 packs of little bottles.  For my purposes, that little bottle has just enough wine that I don't waste much, if any.  I don't drink the stuff either.

Great idea ! Didn’t  know that was a thing .

Thank you sir . That website was kinda what I was looking for . Great help from everybody ! Thank you

If you're making a red wine based sauce, use a cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir. Don't use a Merlot, in general.
For white wine sauces, try a Chablis or Pinot Grigio, rather than a Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc
in today's world 8-10 bucks a bottle is reasonable for a bottle to cook with and perhaps to drink

Thank you for that information !  To be honest , I probably would not be able to tell the difference in a $8 wine or a $50 bottle of 🍷

8 bucks is more than I'm willing to spend to drink.

I just made a chicken fricasse with white wine. I grabbed the Aldis 8.99 bottle of Sauv Blanc with the twist off cap. I tasted it and it definitely wasn't anything I would drink, but it worked perfect in the dish. I wouldn't waste good money pouring a wine that I would drink into a dish I was cooking. Save the good wine to enjoy with the food.

Been on a Chef Jean Pierre kick as of late.   He made a steak Marsala that was pretty tasty.   I bought an eight dollar bottle and was pleasantly surprised with it.   Not a wine drinker.

Don't spend more than $5-10 for a bottle of wine you're going to cook with. It really doesn't make a difference. Certainly don't waste a $30 bottle of wine on short ribs.

This is exactly what I do.  If you're not a wine drinker,  it will go bad over time. I do have a few full bottles here and there,  but this method works for the amount needed for cooking since I don't really drink it.