Dry white wine for making risotto?
I’m making a risotto milanese. The recipe specifies I should use a dry white wine. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what kind of wine specifically I should get? I never drink white wines and so I’m white wine clueless! I don’t want to spend a whole lot of money; I’m cooking with it, after all. Any advice is great!
Thanks everyone!
I ended up with a 10 dollar pinot grigio (that actually came from Italy, wonder of wonders). It seemed like a good compromise. I don’t drink much white wine (just red), so thanks for all your suggestions. 
Tagged with: compromise • dry white wine • italy • money • risotto milanese • white wines • whole lot
Filed under: All Things Wine
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i usually cook with sauvignon blanc. It isn’t quite as oaky and/or buttery as chardonnay. Though chardonnay could also be nice. However, if you are cooking an italian risotto like milanese, you might also want to try a Pinot Grigio. cooking concentrates the flavors of the wine.
I wouldn’t buy a bargain basement two buck chuck priced wine, but maybe something in the $10 range. Like a Fetzer or Kendall-Jackson Sauvignon Blanc.
Also, if you can find them in your area, wineries like Sutter Home & Woodbridge make these fantasic 4-packs of 187ml single serving wines. You can buy a 4-pack and keep it in your cooking ingredient supply area and have for future use.
I use charddonay in my risotto. You can get a decent bottle for about $8.00. Unfortunately, the wine is a key component in Risotto so you really can’t skip it.
I like a sauvignon blanc for risotto. If you’re not going to be drinking it with the food, just get the cheapest you can find, like Gallo.
Do NOT buy the cheapest wine you can find. You shouldn’t cook with it if you wouldn’t drink it. I use sparkling wine in my risotto, usually a Mumm Napa Valley brut.
Go to your local Liquor and Wine store and ask them for something dry but still with a little fruit, if your cooking on a gas stovetop then you should go with a higher alcohol content, so you can catch it on fire, its fun.
I could make some suggestions, but you’d be lucky to find them in the US.
I wish I could believe the other answers, but honestly, it doesn’t matter.
Expensive wine used in cooking is just a waste of expensive wine. Head to the local mega mart, but something like Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, or Sauv. Blance for $2-5 and make your risotto.
If you are a true lover of food then listen to what the people are telling you…use a wine you would drink…never use a 2 dollar wine..and if you do…please invite the guy who said that and not the rest of us!!!!!