Wine Vinegar - Experience Exclusive Taste Of Gourmet Cooking

Do you know that gourmet vinegars have all the character of fine wine? Chefs around the world are turning to vinegar to boost exiting flavors in dishes or to create new ones. I am not talking about jug white vinegar that doubles as window cleaner, or even better quality wine vinegar. I am talking about gourmet artisanal vinegars from France, Italy or Napa Valley – vinegars that are made with the same care as high quality wine.

High quality vinegars, including balsamics, have been around for some time, but the popularity of gourmet vinegars has really taken off in the last two years. Many chefs and cooks are looking for more specific flavors. Many artisanal vinegars are coming from France, Italy and Spain. Some vinegars produces in quantities so small or from region so obscure that even knowledgeable food professionals are just beginning to find them.

Vinegar is created by two fermentations. As in winemaking, the first produces alcohol. A second fermentation is induced with bacteria, which converts alcohol into acetic acid and water. The amount of acetic acid is listed on the label. Artisanal vinegar makers produce alcohol of higher than average quality during that first fermentation, just like good wine. And just like good wine, for vinegar second fermentation and aging they use oak barrels. That is very old, natural and organic way to produce wine or vinegar.

Gourmet vinegars have the kind of intense fruitiness, acid balance and long finish you would expect from a good wine, like late harvest Riesling. Some Italian producers make terrific vinegar with an acetic acid level low enough to qualify it as an after-dinner drink. Not to mention raspberry vinegar, bursting with ripe fruit. For example, a tablespoon of Moscato wine in a glass of seltzer made a refreshing drink, as did some Spanish Unio Moscatel vinegar in seltzer.

So don’t be surprise that gourmet vinegars are as pricy as very good wines. However, remember, gourmet vinegars should be treated the same way as other artisanal products – in other words, the better the quality, the less you want to muck it up. You have to use them more with finishing than cooking, so you can appreciate the flavor.