Substitutes for Dry White Wine

Dry white wine is made from grapes that have been fermented for a long time, allowing its natural sugars to be eliminated. It is therefore not as sweet as white wine, and is ideal for cooking because it will not caramelize or affect the color and taste of the food being cooked. However, if you do not have any of dry white wine, do not despair. You can still cook your favorite dish with any of these substitutes for dry white wine.

Substitutes for Dry White Wine



White-wine Vinegar

As white wine vinegar is made from dry white wine, they have similar flavor. But white wine vinegar doesn’t contain alcohol. You can also use rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar as substitution.
When you use rice wine vinegar, add half amount of dry white, as rice wine vinegar is not potent enough. When using apple cider vinegar, add one part of it and one part of water.

Lemon Juice

Dry white wine is often added to fish or used as source over meat such as chicken breasts for a flavor augmentation. If dealing with this sort of recipe, you can use lemon juice for substitution, but you should dilute it due to its tart flavor. Use a squeezed lemon for substitution because it is fresher and healthier than bottle lemon juice.

Chicken or Beef Broth

Dry white wine has a tangy flavor when cooked, so some recipes such as stews or soups add it for the enhancement of flavor. Made from chicken, various vegetables, spices and herbs, chicken broth can work well as a substitute of dry white wine.
You can use low-sodium chicken broth to avoid salty stew or soup.

Water and Herbs

Although water is the most available substitution for a liquid ingredient such as dry white wine, it contains no flavor. You can add herbs to overcome this demerit.
For savory soups or stews, use bay leaf but you need to remove it after cooking. For a sauce, you can use fresh herbs such as parsley which can work well with chicken, dill which is good with fish and rosemary which can work well with many recipes when crushed lightly. But also remember to remove rosemary when you recipes are done.

Substitutes for Other Alcohol When Cooking

Here is a summary of what you can use to substitute for other types of alcohol when cooking:




Almond extracts

Beer / ale
Light beer
Heavier beers

Chicken broth, white grape juice, ginger ale
Stronger beef, chicken or mushroom broth
Non-alcoholic beer


Bourbon or Scotch. Use fruit juice flavor or flavored extracts specified.


Apple juice or apple concentrate


Raspberry syrup, juice, or extract


Sparkling white wine, grape juice, or ginger ale


Diluted grape or currant juice, cherry cider syrup, or non-alcoholic wine


Scotch, whiskey, or apricot, peach, or pear juice


Reduced orange juice or orange juice concentrate


Reduced orange juice or orange juice frozen concentrate

Creme de Menthe

Spearmint extract/oil mixed with water or grapefruit juice, plus green food coloring if needed


Raspberry juice, jam or syrup


Almond or hazelnut extract


Licorice extract

Grand Marnier

Reduced orange juice or orange juice frozen concentrate


Reduced red wine or grape juice


Pomegranate juice or syrup

Hard Cider

Apple juice or apple cider


Espresso/strong coffee with cocoa powder


Raspberry, black cherry, boysenberry, grape juice/syrup, currant, or cherry cider

Red Burgundy

Red wine vinegar, non-alcoholic wine, or grape juice

Red wine

Non-alcoholic wine, diluted red wine vinegar, beef/chicken broth, tomato juice, grape juice diluted with rice vinegar or red wine vinegar, or liquid from can of mushrooms

Light rum
Dark rum

Pineapple juice with almond extract
Molasses thinned with pineapple juice and almond extract or rum extract flavoring


Rice vinegar


Flavored extract (peach, peppermint, etc.)


Orange juice or pineapple juice

Southern Comfort

Peach nectar plus a little cider vinegar


Cactus or agave nectar/juice

Triple Sec

Reduced orange juice or orange juice frozen concentrate

Sweet vermouth
Dry vermouth

Non-alcoholic sweet wine, aged balsamic vinegar, grape or apple juice
Non-alcoholic white wine, white wine vinegar, or white grape juice


Scotch, Bourbon, or whiskey

White Burgundy

Non-alcoholic wine, white grape juice plus a little white wine vinegar