Red Wine Vinegar

Red Wine Vinegar is made from red wine, as the name would hint. There are red wine vinegars that are made more quickly, using so-so wine, that are sold cheaper, and there are more expensive ones, aged for a few years in oak barrels, etc.

In general, red wine vinegars require longer aging than white wine vinegars. Buy what you can afford, but you may be better off buying a smaller bottle of a better one: as with all specialty vinegars, you buy them with the best of intentions, but two years later are still pushing the same bottle around inside your cupboards.

Good for use in hearty dishes and sauces.

Substitutes

Almost any vinegar, though if you are making a salad dressing plain white vinegar may be too harsh a substitute.

History Notes

In 1997, 1/3 of the vinegar produced in the European Union was Red Wine Vinegar.