The best substitute for wine in cooking depends on what the wine was doing. For red, swap in stock plus a splash of red wine vinegar; for white, stock plus lemon juice or white wine vinegar. Non-alcoholic? Grape juice cut with a little vinegar gets you close.
None of these are quite the real thing — wine adds a depth and roundness that’s hard to fake — but they’ll get a good dinner on the table. Here’s the full list, sorted by what the wine was there to do.
Quick-reference substitution table
| If the recipe calls for… | Swap in (per 250ml wine) | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Red wine | 200ml stock + 1 tbsp red wine vinegar | Braises, stews, ragù |
| Red wine (sauce) | Stock + a splash of balsamic | Pan sauces, gravies |
| White wine | 200ml stock + 1 tsp lemon juice or white wine vinegar | Risotto, cream sauces |
| White wine (seafood) | Stock + extra squeeze of lemon | Mussels, pan-fried fish |
| Port / fortified | Grape juice + 1 tbsp balsamic, reduced | Sauces, poached fruit |
| Non-alcoholic | Red or white grape juice + a little vinegar | Anywhere alcohol must go |
Best substitutes for red wine
For most braises and stews, beef or vegetable stock with a tablespoon of red wine vinegar per glass of wine replaces both the liquid and the acidity. For richer sauces, a splash of balsamic vinegar or even a little pomegranate juice adds the dark, fruity depth red wine brings. Cranberry juice works in a pinch for colour and tartness.
Best substitutes for white wine
Stock plus a squeeze of lemon or a splash of white wine vinegar is the workhorse swap — it brings back the brightness white wine adds to risotto and cream sauces. For seafood, lean on extra lemon. Dry vermouth, if you have it, is the closest stand-in of all and keeps almost indefinitely in the cupboard.
Non-alcoholic options
To keep a dish completely alcohol-free, reach for grape juice cut with a little vinegar — red grape juice for red wine, white for white — to mimic the fruit without the sweetness taking over. Non-alcoholic wines have come a long way too, and behave much like the real thing in a pan.
When you can just leave the wine out
In many recipes, wine is a supporting note rather than the star. If a stew calls for a small splash, you can often replace it with the same amount of stock and a squeeze of acidity, and no one will miss it. Where the wine is the dish — coq au vin, risotto, mussels, pears in port — a substitute will get you a paler version, but not the real one.
And when the wine’s genuinely worth it
We’ll always give you the swap — but here’s the honest bit: in a long braise or a reduced sauce, wine does something substitutes can’t quite manage. It deepens, rounds and lifts all at once. If you have a bottle open, use it. Here’s where it shines.