What Is Claret wine and How Can I Use It?
Claret wine rewards a little know-how: how to choose it, cook it, store it, and substitute in a pinch. Browse 6 recipes to cook with it.
Key Points
- The traditional British name for a dry red Bordeaux, usually a Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend.
- Treat it as any dry red wine: dark fruit over a firm tannic backbone.
- Used in Cumberland sauce, game braises, and warm spiced punches like wassail.
- Substitute any dry red; Cabernet or Merlot is closest to the Bordeaux original.
What is claret wine?
Claret is the traditional British name for a dry red wine from Bordeaux in France. It is not a separate style so much as an old word.
When an English recipe or an old cookbook calls for claret, it means a dry red Bordeaux, typically a Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend.
In the kitchen you can treat it as any good dry red wine. It is dry and medium to full bodied, with dark fruit over a firm tannic backbone. That structure is what it lends to cooking.
How to Use It
Claret turns up in classic British and European dishes. It is the base of a spiced Cumberland sauce for game and cold meats, as in Simple Cumberland Sauce, and the wine in warm punches like The Pastor's Wassail and Claret Cup.
It also braises richly with game, as in Venison Au Vin. In savory cooking it adds acidity and body; in punches and mulled drinks its tannin and fruit carry the spices.
Substitutes
Any dry red wine stands in for claret. A Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot is the closest, since those are the Bordeaux grapes, but any sound dry red works.
For an alcohol-free version, use unsweetened pomegranate or cranberry juice with a splash of red wine vinegar to mimic the tannin and acidity.
Buying and Keeping It
An inexpensive dry red labeled Bordeaux or Cabernet or a red blend is all you need for cooking. Once opened, table wine fades within a few days as it oxidizes, so recork it and refrigerate it, then use it within three to five days.
Quick facts
- In Chinese
- 干红葡萄酒
- British (UK) term
- Claret wine
- en français
- vin claret
- en español
- vino clarete
Recipes using claret wine
There are 6 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Claret Cup
Classic claret cup punch made with red wine, brandy, curacao, frozen lemonade, and grapefruit soda. A refreshing, citrusy wine cocktail for summer parties and gatherings.
Cherry Soup
A chilled Hungarian-style cherry soup made with Bing cherries, claret wine, cinnamon, and lemon, thickened with egg yolk. Served cold as an elegant starter or light meal.
Malinnik
Malinnik is a chilled Russian raspberry soup blended with claret wine and sugar, lifted with a fizz of soda water, and finished with a dollop of sour cream. A bright, boozy summer dessert soup.
Venison Au Vin (Venison Au Vin)
Venison roast marinated overnight in vinegar, then braised with claret wine, cream of mushroom soup, and bay leaves until melt-in-your-mouth tender. A hunter's take on the French classic.
Simple Cumberland Sauce
A zesty, fruity sauce with a hint of ginger. Perfect to accompany meat or poultry, served hot or cold. Quick and easy to prepare.
The Pastor's Wassail
This warm spiced wassail blends claret wine, dry sherry, citrus juices, and cinnamon into a fragrant holiday punch. Ready in 20 minutes, it's the coziest sip for cold-weather gatherings.
