Wine sauce question

[suzanneschuelke]

OK

I have decided to make duck with a wine/cherry sauce. My husband is skeptical of duck because he finds most duck sauces either too sweet or (less commonly - too tart). He loves cherries so I thought I'd try it that way.

Now the question. The dried cherries need to be marinated in the wine overnight. I always use pretty good wine in cooking - but what about a bottle that you opened and hated (yesterday)? Good, relatively expensive wine, grape I like, nothing wrong with the bottle, just not for me. Mostly I wouldn't hesitate to use in cooking but this is more subtle that putting wine in a stew or spaghetti sauce. Opinions.

PS. Any comments on duck cooking or duck sauces also appreciated.

[Hedonista]

The wine should be OK unless it unless it was corked. I always like to cook my ducks by slow roasting the legs and thighs for about 5 hours at 90ºC (or 3 hours at 120ºC) and then pan frying the breasts and serving them pink. Even if cooking whole I still think slow roasting gives the best results as it renders out the fat better and leaves the meat more tender.