Ohio Personal Chef

Try not to buy wine marked "cooking wine". Wine you cook with doesn't have to be the best quality, but should be drinkable. You can cook with many different types of wine, but it's good to have at least one or two bottles of dry red and white wines on hand for cooking as well as sherry.

For a recipe with dry white wine, you're usually safe with a Chardonnay or a Sauvignon Blanc. If it calls for dry red wine, choose a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Merlot or even a Pinot Noir.

Three Good Red Wines for $11 or Less

• Shiraz - Hardy's Nottage Hill (Australia)
• Rioja - Bodegas Monticillo (Spain)
• Cabernet Sauvignon - Fetzer Valley Oaks (California)

Three Good White Wines for $11 or Less

• Sauvignon Blanc - Canyon Road (California)
• Pinot Grigio - Mezza Corona (Italy)
• Riesling - Bernkasteler Kurfurstlay Kabinett (Germany)