each other, they form delicate gels that melt far below mouth temperature, at 70ºF/20ºC and lower Wine in Sauce Making Wines enter into the making of a variety of sauces, and sometimes are the main ingredient, as in the Burgundian sauce meurette (red wine reduced by half with meat and vegetables, then thickened with flour and butter) They contribute several flavor elements, including the tartness of their acids, the sweetness of any residual sugar, the savoriness of succinic acid, and their distinctive aromas The aromas are modified by cooking, while the tartness, sweetness, and savoriness are not, and become concentrated if the wine is cooked long enough to reduce it The alcohol in wine can seem harsh when warm, so the wine is usually cooked enough to evaporate much of it Gentle simmering is said to produce a finer flavor than a fast boil The tannins in red wine can be a problem, especially when a bottle of wine is reduced down to a few syrupy tablespoons: the tannins become concentrated and unbearably astringent This outcome can be avoided by cooking the wine down with protein-rich ingredients, including finely chopped meat or a gelatinous stock reduction The tannins bind to the proteins in those ingredients instead of to the proteins in our mouth (just as tea tannins bind to milk proteins), and so lose their astringent effect Because fish flavor deteriorates quickly, it’s important that fish stock or fumet be made with very fresh ingredients Whole fish, bones, and skin should be thoroughly cleaned and rinsed, and the blood-rich, very perishable gills discarded Cooks often briefly cook the ingredients in butter to develop the flavor A gelatin-bodied sauce can be made from the ... Whole fish, bones, and skin should be thoroughly cleaned and rinsed, and the blood-rich, very perishable gills discarded Cooks often briefly cook the ingredients in butter to develop the flavor... cooking the wine down with protein-rich ingredients, including finely chopped meat or a gelatinous stock reduction The tannins bind to the proteins in those ingredients instead of to the proteins...produce a finer flavor than a fast boil The tannins in red wine can be a problem, especially when a bottle of wine is reduced down to a few syrupy tablespoons: the tannins become concentrated and unbearably astringent