Cooking Wine vs $5 Wine

I remember when I was in my early 20's learning how to be on my own and cook.  When the recipe called for wine, I purchased  Holland House cooking wine in the grocery store.  White, red or Marsala wine.  How many of you did the same?   They say, you shouldn't cook with wine you wouldn't drink. I didn't know that then, and back then, well, it was a different wine world, for me at least.     Thinking back, did you taste it before you added it to your dish?  I didn't, but the dishes I used it in came out good.

Let's fast forward to today.  For the same price of that bottle of Holland House you can go to the wine store and purchase a bottle of wine for between  $5 and $7.  That bottle is quite a bit larger than the one in the grocery store isle and taste better than the cooking wine, I'm sure.  

You will be surprised that the inexpensive wine you find in the wine shop isn't that bad after all. You can poor yourself a glass while cooking and the rest goes in the dish.  Then break out the expensive bottle with dinner.  For all your guests know, that's the wine that went in the meal.

Disclaimer:  This is not intended to be negative to Holland House.  They have a good product. One that I used for years.  However, as one matures so does their cooking skills and palate.