Dry red wine is a common ingredient in recipes, meant to change the flavor and add liquid content. (reference 3) However, you may find you need or want to substitute something else, either because you're out of wine, or because you have a health reason for switching, such as an allergy or sensitivity to wine or alcohol in general. Whatever the reason, you're in luck; substitutes for wine are most likely already in your kitchen.
What Does "Dry" Mean?
A dry wine is simply one that's been fermented for a longer time, thus reducing the sugar content to almost zero and increasing the alcohol content. Sweet and semisweet wines are fermented for shorter amounts of time, leaving in higher amounts of sugar (thus, their descriptions as either sweet or semisweet). Both red and white wines can be dry. Bordeaux, Zinfandel and Pinot Noir are examples of dry red wines. (reference 1)
Substituting Other Wines
Don't blindly substitute any red wine for dry red wine. The added sugar in sweet and semisweet wines will change the taste of the final dish. However, according to Ochef.com, using a wine you dislike in cooking will only magnify those aspects you don't like, so you are better off using a good sweet wine instead of a bad dry wine. (reference 1)
Nonalcoholic Substitutes
Not everyone likes to or can eat foods that contain alcohol. It is a myth that alcohol completely burns off during any sort of cooking. While alcohol will evaporate during cooking, the amount that evaporates depends on the cooking time and technique. Hit the wrong combination, and you could leave over 75 percent of the alcohol content lingering in your food---an unpleasant surprise for those needing to avoid it. Uncooked foods will, of course, retain all alcoholic content. Use a nonalcoholic substitute if you want to be completely sure your food is alcohol-free. (resource 1)
Fruit juices, particularly red grape juice and cranberry juice, are suitable substitutes. Watch the sugar content; if you are substituting dry, or nonsweet, wine, use a less-sweet fruit juice. Broths and flavored vinegars are good, nonsweet substitutes as well. Use the same amount of the substitute liquid as you would dry wine. (resource 3)
Cautions
Some people are sensitive to wine in food; keep burn-off times in mind when preparing dishes with wine. (resource 2)
If you or one of the people who will be eating your cooking are on Antabuse (disulfiram), a medication that induces an adverse reaction when the user drinks alcohol, use a nonalcoholic substitute for any alcohol in the recipe. While the amount of alcohol used in food may seem small, that's no guarantee you or the person taking Antabuse won't react. Play it safe and avoid the alcohol, unless you are prepared for some possible extra clean-up after the meal. (reference 2)
Tags: alcohol content, nonalcoholic substitute, semisweet wines, sugar content, wine resource