A Quick Look at Slow Cooking

• Stewing and braising are the two slow-cooking techniques that make use of wine and other cooking liquids. Braising is the term used when you're cooking large cuts and stewing is the term for small cuts, but otherwise the process is very similar. Most recipes call for the beef to be browned first, to impart the savory flavors of high-temperature cooking. Then the beef is simmered slowly in the oven, on the stovetop or in a countertop slow cooker. The simmering liquid is usually based on water or broth, with spices and aromatic vegetables such as onions, garlic and celery added to the liquid, and cooks often add a healthy splash of red wine.

Light Reds

• Many recipes call for the use of a relatively light red wine, which won't overpower the beef and its seasonings. For example, one of the most famous beef dishes of all, Beouf Bourguignon, relies on the pinot noir-based wines of the Burgundy region for its flavor. New World pinot noir is an equally suitable choice. So are light Italian reds such as Chianti or Bardolino. Avoid Italian wines based on the Nebbiolo grape, which are very tannic and can become bitter in long cooking. French Beaujolais and New World wines based on the gamay grape are acceptable choices, and so are low-key California merlots.

Robust Reds

• If your finished dish will be heavily seasoned, you can get away with using a heavier-bodied red wine. These can be trickier to choose, because they're usually high in tannins which can make your sauce bitter. A big, fruit-forward California zinfandel can sometimes be a winning choice, or a similarly constructed shiraz. French Bordeaux is often too tannic, but easy-drinking New World wines based on the same cabernet sauvignon grape can be good choices. The same holds true for Rhone-style wines, such as the popular grenache-syrah-mourvedre blends. The French originals lean more to tannins, and their New World imitators more to fruit.

Some General Guidelines

• For best results, your wine should seldom account for more than 1/4 to 1/3 of the total liquid. Otherwise the characteristically rough, "hot" alcohol taste will overcome the beef's own flavor, especially with high-alcohol wines such as a big, boozy California zinfandel. If you want the wine to be a strong component of the sauce's final flavor, simmer it first to evaporate much of the alcohol and concentrate the taste of the wine itself. In general, the best wines for drinking are too structured and tannic to be good in your beef dish. Instead, look for bottles of uncomplicated, easy-drinking wine. This runs counter to the advice in many cookbooks, but complex wines are wasted in simple dishes and often produce an unpleasantly sharp flavor when cooked.