The Wholesale Group is expanding its premium CHEF Prestige range with the launch of two Spanish cooking wines, giving professional kitchens a versatile red and white wine option developed specifically for foodservice.
The new CHEF Prestige Tempranillo Red Cooking Wine and CHEF Prestige Pardina White Cooking Wine are produced in southwest Spain by Bodegas Lopez Morenas in Extremadura, a winemaker that combines modern production technology with more than five decades of winemaking tradition.
Made entirely from grapes, the wines undergo a specialist production process that slowly reduces the alcohol content to 1.2% ABV before a small amount of salt is added. Unlike traditional industrial de-alcoholisation methods that boil the wine, the process has been designed to retain the wine’s flavour and natural characteristics.
The result gives chefs the convenience of a dedicated lower-alcohol cooking wine while retaining the characteristics needed to add depth and flavour across a wide variety of dishes.
The CHEF Prestige Tempranillo Red Cooking Wine provides a versatile option for dishes including sauces, casseroles, braises, reductions and meat-based recipes, while the CHEF Prestige Pardina White Cooking Wine can be used across sauces, seafood, poultry, pasta and risotto dishes.
Available in 3-litre and 10-litre Bag-in-Box formats, the range has been designed around the requirements of professional kitchens, combining ease of use and storage with formats suited to different levels of demand. Both wines have an 18-month shelf life from manufacture and can be used for up to six weeks once opened, helping operators manage stock effectively and minimise unnecessary waste.
Richard Ellison, Own Brand Manager at The Wholesale Group, said: “Cooking wine is an ingredient that can make a significant difference to the depth and complexity of a finished dish, so we wanted to develop a range that offered chefs both quality and practicality.
“The production process is particularly important. By slowly reducing the alcohol content to 1.2% ABV rather than using a conventional boiling process, the wines retain the flavour and natural characteristics that chefs want when cooking.
“Adding the range to CHEF Prestige reflects the quality of the product, while the 3-litre and 10-litre Bag-in-Box formats and six-week life once opened make it a practical proposition for professional kitchens.”
The launch strengthens The Wholesale Group’s CHEF Prestige portfolio, a range reserved for products selected for their quality and ability to deliver something beyond the everyday own-brand offer.
Suitable for foodservice operations including restaurants, pubs, hotels, contract caterers, education and event catering, the new CHEF Prestige Cooking Wines are available through The Wholesale Group’s network of independent wholesale members.
More information is available at www.thewholesalegroup.co.uk
