# Beef Stew Wine Substitute
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-stew-wine-substitute/752924
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Tags:** wine
**Created:** [April 23, 2016, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-stew-wine-substitute/752924 "2016-04-23T18:49:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2016, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-stew-wine-substitute/752924/1 "2016-04-23T18:49:06Z")
Can I substitute Champagne for Red Wine in a Beef Stew.?
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### Author:  [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2016, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-stew-wine-substitute/752924/2 "2016-04-23T18:51:25Z")
**Moderator Action**
Moving thread from General Questions to Cafe Society, our home for questions on the culinary arts.
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### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2016, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-stew-wine-substitute/752924/3 "2016-04-23T18:53:01Z")
> [@engineer\_comp\_geek](#):
>
> **Moderator Action**
>
> Moving thread from General Questions to Cafe Society, our home for questions on the culinary arts.
My regrets at the error.
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### Author:  [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2016, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-stew-wine-substitute/752924/4 "2016-04-23T18:53:48Z")
Are you asking because you don’t have red wine or because you want to use champagne? I’m not sure about champagne but you can use beef broth, dark beer (browns and stouts work very well), you can even use water and bump up some of the other ingredients. Champagne, however, I haven’t tried.
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2016, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-stew-wine-substitute/752924/5 "2016-04-23T19:01:12Z")
You’ll still get the alcohol soluble flavors but you won’t get the red wine taste. I don’t know if you will taste the champagne.
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### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2016, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-stew-wine-substitute/752924/6 "2016-04-23T19:03:12Z")
No red wine, & TN laws won’t let grocery store sell any until July or so.
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### Author:  [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2016, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-stew-wine-substitute/752924/7 "2016-04-23T19:10:45Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#):
>
> No red wine, & TN laws won’t let grocery store sell any until July or so.
I thought liquor stores could still sell it though. Even so, if you can find yourself some Guinness or even just some beef broth, you’ll be fine. Bet personally, I wouldn’t use champagne.
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### Author:  [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2016, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-stew-wine-substitute/752924/8 "2016-04-23T19:19:42Z")
I’m with Joey on this. I don’t think you’ll have a problem. It will be a different end product, but you might like it equally well. My preference for beef stew is beer, and I use whatever I have on hand. It never tastes exactly the same, but it always tastes good.
Even if you had to fall back on water, you’d have a tasty end product.
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2016, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-stew-wine-substitute/752924/9 "2016-04-23T19:23:42Z")
Champagne in cooking is just white wine, so you’re really asking if you can substitute white for red wine. Sure. It’s going to alter the taste somewhat, and depending on how much residual sugar there is in the champagne, it might add more sweetness than you don’t want. OTOH, you might like a little sugar in your stew! 🙂
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### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2016, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-stew-wine-substitute/752924/10 "2016-04-23T19:23:59Z")
OK.My thanks,.
Broth it will be
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### Author:  [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2016, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-stew-wine-substitute/752924/11 "2016-04-23T19:27:31Z")
yeah, for a beef stew if you can’t get red wine then I’d skip it.
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### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2016, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-stew-wine-substitute/752924/12 "2016-04-23T20:42:43Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#):
>
> > [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#):
> >
> > No red wine, & TN laws won’t let grocery store sell any until July or so.
>
> I thought liquor stores could still sell it though. Even so, if you can find yourself some Guinness or even just some beef broth, you’ll be fine. Bet personally, I wouldn’t use champagne.
Why can’t grocery stores in Tennessee sell wine before July?
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2016, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-stew-wine-substitute/752924/13 "2016-04-23T20:49:16Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#):
>
> Why can’t grocery stores in Tennessee sell wine before July?
July is it’s time.
[New law](https://votesmart.org/bill/17512/47084/authorizes-the-sale-of-wine-in-grocery-stores) goes in effect.
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2016, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-stew-wine-substitute/752924/14 "2016-04-23T21:02:55Z")
ABC store too far away?
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### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2016, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-stew-wine-substitute/752924/15 "2016-04-23T21:50:48Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#):
>
> ABC store too far away?
No such animal.
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### Author:  [@SeldomSeen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeldomSeen)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2016, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-stew-wine-substitute/752924/16 "2016-04-23T22:32:07Z")
I like to use [Kitchen Bouquet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitchen_Bouquet). Adds a great color as well as flavor.
SS
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### Author:  [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2016, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-stew-wine-substitute/752924/17 "2016-04-23T22:49:08Z")
You could use a little balsamic vinegar.
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### Author:  [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2016, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-stew-wine-substitute/752924/18 "2016-04-23T23:01:15Z")
> [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](#):
>
> No red wine, & TN laws won’t let grocery store sell any until July or so.
Champagne _is_ wine. You can get champagne at the grocery store, but not pinot noir, or whatever?
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### Author:  [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2016, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-stew-wine-substitute/752924/19 "2016-04-23T23:19:31Z")
> [@jz78817](#):
>
> yeah, for a beef stew if you can’t get red wine then I’d skip it.
If you google “beef stew with white wine” there are dozens of recipes.
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### Author:  [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)
#### Post date: [April 23, 2016, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/beef-stew-wine-substitute/752924/20 "2016-04-23T23:26:43Z")
> [@Frank](#):
>
> Champagne _is_ wine. You can get champagne at the grocery store, but not pinot noir, or whatever?
I’m guessing he already has the champagne on hand, and that it wasn’t bought at the local grocery store.
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