Red Wine Vinegar: How It's Made, Uses and Substitutes

Red wine vinegar is red wine that has been soured on purpose: acetic acid bacteria turn its alcohol into acetic acid, the compound that gives all vinegar its tang. It is the everyday vinegar for vinaigrettes, marinades and pan sauces. You can make it at home from leftover wine, as long as you keep it out of anything you plan to can.

How wine turns into vinegar

Every vinegar is made in two steps. First, yeast ferments sugar into alcohol: that’s the wine. Then acetic acid bacteria convert the alcohol into acetic acid. A UC Cooperative Extension guide to vinegar names the bacterium Acetobacter, nicknamed the vinegar bacteria, and describes the change as the oxidation of ethyl alcohol into acetic acid.

The key ingredient is air. Penn State Extension notes that acetic acid bacteria need oxygen to grow, which is why winemakers keep wine topped up and sealed, and why an open bottle left on the counter slowly turns sour. The same bacteria are behind the vinegary smell in a spoiled wine; our guide to why wine tastes sour explains how to tell a fault from a naturally tart wine.

As the bacteria work, they can form a film on the surface called mother of vinegar. Wikipedia describes it as a slime of bacteria and cellulose. The UC guide notes that the living bacteria in a batch can start the next one, so you don’t need to buy a new starter.

Slow and fast methods

Method	How it works	Time
Slow or natural	Wine or juice sits open at room temperature	Several months (UC Cooperative Extension)
Orléans (continuous)	Fresh juice or wine is added to small batches of vinegar; as it sours, it is skimmed off	Several months (UC Cooperative Extension)
Generator and submerged	Air is forced through the liquid to speed up the bacteria	About 1 to 3 days (Wikipedia)

According to the UC guide, modern commercial vinegar is made with the generator and submerged methods. Wikipedia notes that wine vinegar quality varies widely, and that better grades are matured in wood for up to two years.

How strong is red wine vinegar?

The FDA has no formal standard of identity for vinegar, but its labeling guidance (CPG Sec. 525.825) defines wine vinegar, or grape vinegar, as the product of the alcoholic and then acetous fermentation of grape juice. It says each listed type should contain 4 grams of acetic acid per 100 milliliters, in other words about 4% acidity. Vinegar diluted with water must state its acid strength on the label, and never below 4%. Federal alcohol rules use the same floor: vinegar made on bonded wine premises must have at least 4.0 grams of volatile acidity, calculated as acetic acid, per 100 milliliters (27 CFR 24.215).

For canning, the National Center for Home Food Preservation recommends vinegar of 5% acidity and says never to use a vinegar of unknown acidity.

Red vs white wine vinegar

Both count as wine (grape) vinegar to the FDA. The UC Cooperative Extension guide notes that wine vinegar can be made from white, red or rosé wine, and calls wine vinegars the best for salad dressings.

	Red wine vinegar	White wine vinegar
Made from	Red wine	White wine
Best for	Vinaigrettes, marinades for red meat, beans, lentils, pan sauces	Light dressings, fish, chicken, pale sauces

Champagne vinegar, by the UC guide’s description, is made from a dry white wine from Chardonnay or Pinot Noir grapes, and has no bubbles.

How to use red wine vinegar

• Vinaigrettes. The classic use. We’d start with about one part vinegar to three parts oil, plus salt and a little mustard, then adjust to taste.
• Marinades. It suits marinades for beef, lamb and pork.
• Finishing soups and stews. America’s Test Kitchen’s tip for cooking without wine is to stir ½ teaspoon of red or white wine vinegar into every ½ cup of broth just before serving. The same splash brightens a bean soup or a lentil stew.
• Pan sauces. A spoonful added after deglazing sharpens a sauce that tastes flat.
• Quick refrigerator pickles such as red onions. Ohio State University Extension says homemade vinegar is fine for refrigerator and freezer pickles; anything you can needs commercial vinegar of known acidity.

For what wine to cook with in the first place, see our guides to the best white wine for cooking and the best red wine for cooking.

Substitutes for red wine vinegar

Substitute	How to use it
White wine vinegar	Swap one for one; it has less color
Sherry vinegar	Swap one for one; taste first
Lemon juice	Good in dressings and on vegetables
Balsamic vinegar	Use less: Wikipedia lists about 17% carbohydrates per 100 mL, so it is much sweeter
Cider vinegar	Works in a pinch

These swaps are our suggestions for cooking and dressings. Don’t swap vinegars of unknown or lower acidity into a canning recipe.

How to make red wine vinegar at home

Turning leftover wine into vinegar is easy, but slow. These steps follow the UC Cooperative Extension guide and Ohio State University Extension’s fact sheet on homemade vinegar:

1. Choose the wine. The UC guide suggests wine of about 9 to 10% alcohol, diluted with distilled water if it is stronger. Sulfites slow the vinegar bacteria, so the guide recommends wine with 20 parts per million or less of free sulfur dioxide, and suggests testing bought wine with a kit.
2. Use the right container. The UC guide recommends glass, stainless steel or enamel utensils, and lists wood barrels, glass carboys, ceramic pots and stainless steel for fermenting. Ohio State warns against metal and aluminum containers, which the acid corrodes, and lists glass, plastic, wood, enamel or stainless steel as the safe choices.
3. Sanitize everything that will touch the vinegar.
4. Fill and add a starter. Fill the container about two-thirds full and add a vinegar starter (mother of vinegar).
5. Cover with cloth, not a lid. The bacteria need air. A cloth keeps out insects and dust.
6. Keep it warm. The UC guide gives 80°F as ideal, within a range of 60 to 85°F. Don’t disturb the mother as it forms; if it gets heavy and sinks, remove it.
7. Wait and taste. The UC guide says full fermentation takes about 3 to 4 weeks.
8. Filter, pasteurize and age. Strain through cheesecloth. To pasteurize, heat the vinegar to 140°F, and no more than 160°F, then bottle it in sterilized bottles, or bottle it and hold it in a 140°F water bath for at least 30 minutes. The UC guide says new vinegar has a sharp bite that mellows with age at a steady 50 to 60°F, and that finished vinegar should be kept away from air.

Important: Homemade vinegar’s acidity varies, so Ohio State University Extension says not to use it in foods that will be canned or stored at room temperature. It is fine for salads, cooking and refrigerator or freezer pickles. For canning, use commercial vinegar labeled 5% acidity.

In our view, wine that is simply past its best is a good candidate for vinegar, but never wine that shows mold. Our guide to how long wine lasts after opening explains when an open bottle is past drinking. If you make your own wine, our guide to making wine at home covers how to keep the vinegar bacteria out of it.