The Best White Wine Substitutes—and How Much to Use of Each When You Cook

You likely already have these white wine swaps in your kitchen.

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Updated on June 13, 2023

Whether you ran out of white wine or simply don't want to use it in your cooking, you need to know what the best white wine substitutes are. Other common ingredients can create equally delicious and full-flavored results in dishes like risotto, mussels, soups, and stews. White wine is typically added to a recipe and then reduced through simmering. This process burns off the alcohol while concentrating the wine's rich flavors, which accent and enhance the overall dish. We spoke to a culinary expert to learn what to use in place of white wine to achieve a similar depth of flavor.

cooking with white wine — LanaStock / GETTY IMAGES

Thomas Delle Donne, chef and assistant dean of culinary relations at Johnson & Wales University

Vinegar

One good substitute for white wine is vinegar, another acidic ingredient. "Acid-forward liquids with sugar notes work best, such as vinegars and fresh citrus juices," says Thomas Delle Donne, assistant dean at Johnson & Wales University. Swap the wine for light-colored vinegars, like white wine vinegar, rice vinegar, or apple cider vinegar. Avoid harsher vinegars, like distilled white vinegar, which could add too much acidity. While most vinegars can play as a tasty substitute, be careful with the color of the vinegar. A dark balsamic or sherry vinegar could affect the final shade of your dish.

Per 1 cup of white wine: Use 1/2 cup of vinegar mixed with 1/2 cup of water

Lemon Juice

Thanks to its acidity, lemon juice is another great white wine alternative. Just remember that wine's acidity level is much lower than that of lemon juice. If you're choosing to swap it in for white wine, take the acidity into account by using half or less of the swap and making up the rest of the liquid with water.

Per 1 cup of white wine: Use 1/4 cup of lemon juice mixed with 3/4 cup of water

Fortified Wine

What's a better substitute for white wine than another alcohol? Start with selections that have an equivalent amount of alcohol. "These fortified wines would work: brandy, marsala, and madeira," says Delle Donne. But you may want to stay away from port or any red wine—just as red and white are completely different to drink, they’re completely different to cook with, he explains.

Dry vermouth—another fortified wine—is also a viable substitute. It adds complex flavor notes and botanicals. Avoid swapping white wine for spirits like bourbon, whiskey, rum, or tequila, as they are much stronger and may add unwanted flavor.

Per 1 cup of white wine: Use 1 cup fortified wine

Broth

Chicken or vegetable broth is a great white wine substitute, as it adds both liquid and flavor. If using a store-bought broth, opt for low-sodium or no-sodium so that you don't throw off the salt content of the dish.

The one downside to using broth? It lacks acidity. You can counteract this, though, by adding a dash of vinegar or lemon juice right before serving to brighten the flavors of the dish.

Per 1 cup of white wine: Use 1 cup broth

Water

Don't have any of the above options on hand? You can also easily swap in water for white wine. This is particularly useful if a recipe doesn't call for reducing the wine and you just need the liquid—in this case, use an equal amount of water as you would wine.

However, like broth, water lacks the acidity of white wine. If using it as a substitute, you should add a splash of vinegar or lemon juice before serving.

Per 1 cup of white wine: Use 1 cup water

White Grape Juice

White grape juice is a viable alternative to white wine. But, as it's significantly sweeter than white wine, you'll want to add a splash of vinegar or lemon juice first. This will provide the acidity that white wine adds to recipes.

Alternatively, when using white grape juice as a white wine substitute in sweeter dishes, dilute the juice with water to tone down the sweetness. You can reduce other sweeteners in the recipe as well.