Cooking with wine and the type of wine being used for the cooking process is a question that is highly debatable, because the dish prepared clearly shows the wine that was used to make it. If the wine was a good quality one it’ll show and if it was a cheap low quality one, it’ll show!. Some people use drinking wines to cook while others use only cooking wines. Of course it must be remembered that a drinking wine can be used to cook, while keeping in mind that you are overspending where not required, but a cooking wine cannot be used to drink., Infact a cooking wine is salty and generally an inferior quality wine as compared to the drinking and is ok only for cooking and for nothing else.
Cooking with wine is as old as wine drinking itself. Infact it is assumed that originally fermented grape juices were used to prepare stews and casseroles and various other dishes. This fermented grape juice was accidently drunk by a member of a royal family, while he was in his kitchen and he liked it to the extent that a refined and better quality of the same juice was also created for drinking purposes from then on. That drinking juice later came to be known as drinking wine while the one that was used for cooking retained its name as a cooking wine.
As it was mentioned earlier, while purchasing a cooking wine keep in mind that whatever you buy will be reflected in the taste of the dish that is the end result. You can buy wine online. So a cheap quality cooking wine will give a bad tasting dish, and a connoisseur or a sommelier will easily be able to identify the type of wine that had gone into your dish! This does not mean that the higher priced a wine the better it is and the lower priced wine the cheaper It is. It only means that whenever you are purchasing wine for cooking, purchase the same from a reputed store or purchase wine online or go for the recommendations of someone who has bought and used a wine for cooking. Infact person to person recommendations are the best way to ensure that the wine you are purchasing is the best for cooking.
Another thing to remember is that older wines and vintages are usually not recommended for dishes that have a long cooking process. These wines somehow don’t hold up to the actual cooking process and long simmers. When using wines for cooking, especially at a time you are not buying a cooking wine and are using a drinking wine, shop around for bargains on young and powerful wines that have their own taste and mild aromas. These wines hold up well in the cooking process and easily intensify the taste of the dish by several folds! Also remember that a good quality leftover drinking wine can also be used in a recipient that calls for an option of a drinking red wine, white wine, champagne or rose!

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The Constantia wine route is located in the Constantia Valley in Cape Town. Constantia is on the eastern flank of the Cape Peninsula in the coastal zone. The maritime climate and cool position create ideal conditions for a wide range of grapes to grow. In South Africa viticulture usually takes place at a latitude of 34 degrees south and thrives in an area with a mild Mediterranean climate.  This climate features warm summers that are cooled by south easterly winds and cool winters with very little frost.

Positioned in the heart of this magnificent wine route is the elegant The Last Word Constantia, one of 4 boutique hotels owned and run by The Last Word hotel group.The Last Word Constantia is surrounded by the majestic Cape Mountain ranges that form a backdrop to the most scenic wine producing regions in the world and makes for an ideal form of Cape Town luxury accommodation for those wanting to explore the winelands and experience some tours of the eight wine farms that make up the region.

The eight farms, which all offer tasting tours, are Buitenverwachting, Constantia Glen, Constantia Uitsig, Eagles Nest Wines, Groot Constantia, High Constantia, Klein Constantia, Steenberg Vineyards all of them boast a rich history, dating back to 1685 as well as a unique terrior. This 5 star boutique hotelis situated conveniently close to main roads that lead to the Stellenbosch Winelands, for discerning wine connoisseurs seeking to experience other types of wine.

The Last Word Constantia has a swimming pool and surrounding tanning deck, set amongst manicured gardens and rolling lawns, allowing guests to take advantage of more than the extravagant mountain views that encompass this luxury hotel.

This particular luxury boutique hotel is also situated close to other Constantia attractions such as the up market Constantia shopping center and many high quality restaurants.

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