What is Wine Vinegar?
Wine vinegar is a type of vinegar that is made from different kinds of wine products like white whine, red wine, champagne, or fruit-based wines. By having the wine’s ethanol content undergo a fermentation process, acetic acid is produced and this substance makes up the key ingredient in vinegars. Depending on the source of vinegar, the concentration of acetic acid may vary from as low as 4% in table vinegars to as much as 18% in some types. Other vinegar types may also have other acids like citric and/or tartaric acid among others.

But in general, vinegars made from wine are said to be less acidic with acetic acid content at about 5-10% only. This type of vinegar is also the most common type in countries that are part of Central Europe and those in the Mediterranean area. Similar to its wine source, wine vinegars may also be aged for a couple of years. Quality also differs depending on the wine used and the aging process. For most people, the best wine vinegars are typically aged in wood for at least two years. Others also prefer those that are made from varieties like sparkling wines or champagnes.

The good thing about vinegar is that it can be made conveniently at home. This is because vinegar is produced by simple fermentation process. In the case of wine vinegar, one just needs to leave open a bottle of wine for several weeks and allow for the natural fermentation of the sugar present in it. When fermentation is done, one can literally spice things up by adding extra flavor to the wine. Spices, vegetables, herbs, and various fruits may be added to the wine vinegar to add more texture to its flavor. And the resulting mixture may be used as flavoring for food, or as sauce and dip for a variety of dishes.