Hens were brought by the Spanish to the island of Hispaniola (Santo Domingo) during the period of conquest and colonization. Today they are a fundamental part of the meat-based foods that provide protein to Dominican consumers, largely thanks to a policy implemented during Joaquin Balaguer’s government in the so-called Twelve Years, when a subsidy system was created that made them more accessible to the population.

Gallina al vino is a dish of Spanish heritage, and its preparation is considered a delicacy with limited consumption within Dominican gastronomic culture.

Regarding the origin of this delicious dish, eaten both in the Dominican Republic and in other parts of the world, Latin American and European gastronomic researchers point to its historical link with the famous European dish known as coq au vin (French for “rooster or hen in wine”), an emblematic preparation of French cuisine that has spread across Europe and beyond.

The well-known gastronomic work Larousse, La vuelta al mundo en 80 platillos (2009), more than a book, is a true journey through the flavors and culinary knowledge of the world. It includes recipes along with the history of iconic dishes, among them gallina al vino. Its authors state:
"The French word coq means ‘rooster or hen,’ birds with tough meat and abundant connective tissue. The main ingredients of this dish are the rooster or hen and wine. In its preparation, after marinating the meat in wine, it is often flambeed with cognac or grape brandy. Bacon (lardon) is used to saute the bird in the early stages, along with onions and garlic, and in some cases butter is added. It is scented with thyme, bay leaf, and other herbs typical of the bouquet garni. Traditionally, the dish’s juices are thickened with a roux, a mixture of flour and butter in equal parts, used as a base or thickener for sauces, cooked over low heat."

This is one of the dishes that, since the arrival of the Spanish, has remained present in Dominican cooking. However, as has happened with many other inherited preparations, it has undergone cultural transformations and adaptations in its ingredients and cooking methods. In that process, gallina al vino, like other traditional dishes, has been creolized and reinterpreted within the national culinary context.