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When Graham Kerr cooked on his incredibly popular Galloping Gourmet TV show many years ago, it seemed that his wine glass and its contents were as much a part of his culinary arsenal as his French whisk.
In fact, Kerr's cooking motto could probably be summed up in the motto: "When In Doubt, Add More Wine."
What started out as an entertaining diversion for the at-home audience turned into a life-altering problem for Kerr. He developed a drinking problem.
As someone who really enjoys cooking, and especially enjoys cooking with wine, I asked Kerr how he dealt with that element in his cooking now that he drinks only rarely.
A lot of famous people turn out to be rats when you talk to them in person, but Kerr is the same effervescent, engaging, full-of-life guy you remember from those old shows.
"Actually, I much prefer using cooking wine without any alcohol in it," advised Kerr who has a new cooking series called The Gathering Place.
"When you boil wine to reduce it, you boil off some of the water to concentrate the flavour," he explained. "In the process, you also boil off some of the fragrances, and the esters and the essences of the wine are disturbed. It's rendered less palatable.
"I use the de-alcoholized wine you can buy at any grocery store and then when everything's cooked, I just splash a little bit of wine in the dish and serve it. That way, you get the full benefit of the vintage."
When you cook with wine, the vast percentage of the alcohol evaporates in any event.
Wine, sherry or Port seem to add a richness and depth to many dishes, especially stews.
So, why not have the best of both worlds? Use the de-alcoholized stuff for the pot and save as much of the good stuff as possible for the glass.