When preparing sauces, especially wine sauces, think about how you want the wine to influence the flavor of the sauce. To prepare a simple red wine sauce, combine 1 quart of dry red wine with 2 ounces of chopped shallots or onions and allow to reduce until very syrupy. Add 1 quart of demiglaze or mushroom stock and allow to reduce by one third. Strain before serving and finish with 2 ounces of margarine, if desired. To create a red wine garlic sauce, sweat 4 ounces of minced garlic in 1 ounces of margarine and add to the red wine sauce, as described above.
Port is a fortified red wine with a full, rich flavor.
Cook over high heat until reduced to syrup. Add 1 quarts of vegetable stock and reduce by one half. Strain the sauce and finish with 2 ounces of margarine, salt, and pepper, if desired. The number of calories from alcohol in a dish will depend on the amount of alcohol that is cooked off before it is served. The longer the heating, the more alcohol calories are lost.