When cooking with wine .....
 

Do you count points for the wine, or is it zero because it dissipates during the cooking process?

Last night we made the "Basic Tomato Sauce" (1pt) from my Getting Started book and my husband wanted to add wine, but I wasn't sure if we would have to count points for it or not.

Thoughts?

I always count it. I figured the alcohol evaporates but the natural sugar is left behind. Maybe I'm wrong, but better to be safe than sorry! :D

Some of the calories (and therefore) points would burn off, but how much would vary depending on the sugar content, the temperature and how
long it was simmered, but since it doesn't take much wine to add flavor, I often us it, but just a couple tablespoons. It's too small a quantity to add any points, but still adds a lot of flavor (especially red wines).

You know I have an article on this (like I don't have an article on most things - LOL):

Alcohol added to a recipe may cook off, but it depends on how long you cook it. Rena Cultrufelli of the USDA prepared the following table of alcohol content in cooked foods.

Preparation Method Percent Retained

Alcohol added to boiling liquid and 85%
removed from heat

Flame 75%

No heat; stored overnight 70%

Baked, 25 minutes, alcohol not stirred 45%
into mixture

Baked/simmered, alcohol stirred into mixture:

15 minutes 40%
30 minutes 35%
60 minutes/1 hour 25%
90 minutes/1.5 hours 20%
120 minutes/2 hours 10%
150 minutes/2.5 hours 5%

So you see not all the alcohol is ever complete “burned” off.

Residual sugar
 

Another thing you need to remember: when wine is made there is some residual sugar that is not converted to alcohol. Also, some wine makers even add sugar after primary fermentation occurs. Ever had Manischewitz?

There is no way to calculate the residual sugar in a wine unless you go all scientific and get a tool to measure it or do a whole heck of a lot of work evaporating the alcohol, water. . . A brix refractometer isn't cheap, and unless you're going to start making your own wine not really worth it IMHO.

I know, more information than you ever could have wanted or needed.