Making a red wine reduction is a great way to create a concentrated, flavorful sauce! I do it frequently myself when I’m cooking and it works great with red, white or sweet wines. Just be aware that when you have a cup or so of wine simmering away on the stove, what is simmering off is mostly water and alcohol. Everything else, the tannin, the sugar, the colored components and even the vast majority of the acids will remain in the pot as they are not light enough (volatile enough) compounds to “boil” off like steam or ethanol vapor. In a sense, you are concentrating all the flavored elements, including acids, so expect the result to be denser, more concentrated, and in fact more acidic than the original wine. This is why it is so common in reduction sauces to add a little sugar if it’s not there already. One of my favorite procedures is as follows: • Brown the meat of your choice in a hot cast iron skillet, flipping once. When meat is about 75% “done” to your
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