A: The longer the dish cooks, the more the alcohol burns away. However, for quick preparation, such as sautéing, a good bit of alcohol can remain. Here's a general rule of thumb: After 15 minutes of baking or simmering, about 40% of the alcohol remains; after an hour that number is reduced to about 25%; after 2 1/2 hours that number drops even further to about 5%. That said, it's important to remember that most wine only has about 12% alcohol by volume to begin with, so, for most, it's no big deal.