There are many benefits to drinking wine. For example, studies have found that wine drinkers have a 34% lower mortality rate than both beer or spirit drinkers. Not only is wine delicious for drinking, but wine can also be incorporated into many dishes when cooking to add a different layer to the flavors. Because of these reasons, wine gift baskets make wonderful gifts. If you're going to arrange a wine gift basket for a friend, here are 3 great wines that are great for not only drinking, but also for cooking.

Add Depth to Soups and Sauces with Sherry

Originating from a Southern Spain town called Jerez, pronounced "sherris," a bottle of Sherry is a great addition to any wine gift basket. Not only is it great for drinking, but adding a bit of Sherry to a dish will add more depth and dimension to the flavors. Sherry is great for brightening up soup, deglazing chicken and other meats and adding depth to cream sauces. Only a dash of Sherry is needed for each recipe, so a bottle can last a really long time.

Substitute Sparkling Wine for Dry, White Wine

If the recipe calls for a dash of dry, white wine, but you can't seem to find any in the house, sparkling wine will do the job. Sparkling wine is great for celebrations and is perfectly suited for a sorbet. Unknown to many, it also great for cooking. It's a much better option than reaching for any wines labeled "cooking wines" because cooking wines contain salts and other additives.

The bubbles in the sparkling wine will dissipate when the wine is being cooked. This is why most people recommend popping open a bottle of sparkling wine to drink, and using the leftovers sitting around for cooking.

Use Port for Meat-Based Casseroles

Choosing a wine that will complement the type of meat you are using in the recipe can be difficult if you don't have prior knowledge of how the flavors will infuse together. If you're not sure which type of wine to go with when cooking a meat-based casserole and the recipe doesn't specify, just know that you will never go wrong with port. The rich sweetness and the depth of the grape flavors in port will complement basically any type of meat if you are cooking a meat-based casserole dish.

Conclusion

If you're not sure what type of wine you should include in a wine gift basket, then look for something that can be used for cooking as well. This way, even if your recipient doesn't enjoy drinking that particular type of wine, he or she can still make good use of your gift by using it as an ingredient in a recipe or two.

For more information, contact Sand Castle Winery or a similar location.