Wine vinegar and wine are very different although are produced from the same thing. Wine vinegars are vinegars produced from fermenting wine by acetic acid bacteria which convert the ethanol in wine into acetic acid.
Being a vinegar, it is much sharper than wine although like wine many flavours can be detected beyond the generic sharp lemon-like flavour, particularly in the premium aged varieties such as balsamic vinegar from Modena.
Wine vinegar has no alcoholic content in it and so there is no need to 'burn off the alcohol' which you would do when cooking with wine.
Wine has a much subtler flavour and so would use it in things like gravies, sauces, etc. Likewise, vinegar is much stronger and I would mainly use it in vinaigrettes or in small quantities in cooking (ie finishing of a dish with a small drizzle of vinegar)in much the same way as you might use lemon.
There are several things that come together to produce the overall flavor profile of the dish, not all of them having anything to do with the wine. Traditional factors such as good spicing, blooming the spices, browning ingredients and so forth continue to have a huge affect.
Deglazing with some wine adds the following:
- Acidity. Wine is an acid food product, and this brightness can enhance the overall flavor of the dish.
- Sweetness. Wine can also be sweet, which acts as a flavor enhancer.
- Fruitiness. The fruity qualities of the wine may compliment the other flavors of the dish.
- Alcohol. The alcohol in the wine will not completely evaporate. Some will remain, helping to dissolve and make volatile some flavor components which are ot soluble in either water or fats (this is especially true in tomato based dishes). This can give foods cooked with alcohol an extra depth of flavor.
The first and last of these affects probably have the most profound affect on your dish.
Adding the wine in dribs and drabs probably doesn't help, but in the end you need to use enough wine to have a good effect on your dish. Even though it will be reduced, it is still an ingredient, and you need to have enough to matter.
I do suggest adding it all at once, and letting it boil away; this should work quite well.
The quality of wine you use also matters. You want a wine that tastes decent, even as a beverage. My personal preference for cooking is a Chardonnay, but I don't think that preference is universal.
Best Answer
Pinot noir is generally made as a light bodied red wine, and in many cases, tends to have enough acidity to make it a wonderful pairing with lots of different kinds of foods. (Barberas from Italy are similar). Knowing that red wine is not a traditional pairing for fish, I would go ahead and see if you like Pinot Noir with whatever fish you like.
Dry rosé (there are some lovely French, Spanish, and Italian dry rosés) is also a nice choice, as they are generally light, easy to drink wines.
Remember, what YOU like is the right wine for whatever you're eating, no matter what the experts say.