White Wine Vinegar Substitute

Vinegar is the product of fermentation of ethanol, which is carried out with the help of the bacteria acetobacter. Vinegar is basically acetic acid, though, natural vinegar can also contain a small percentage of other acids including citric acid and tartaric acid. Vinegar can be prepared from a number of sources like wine, fruit juice, balsam, beer and rice. So, white wine vinegar is nothing but a variety of vinegar, processed from white wine, with the help of bacterial fermentation.

White Wine Vinegar Replacement in Cooking

Right from the preparation of pickles, sauces to tenderize meat, vinegar has found a wide range of culinary uses since the ancient times. White wine vinegar is mainly used to make vinaigrettes, stews, soups and some popular French cuisines like béarnaise sauce and hollandaise. It usually has lower acidity, as compared to the commonly used white vinegar and cider vinegar.

Red Wine Vinegar
Red wine vinegar has a stronger flavor than the white variety. The only difference between the white and red wine vinegar is that, the red variety is processed from red wine, which gives it the distinctive red color, while white wine vinegar is processed from white wine. The quality of red wine vinegar can vary considerably, depending on the ingredients, and also on the entire method of processing. Some red wine vinegar are quite costly, while others can be cheaper with a stronger flavor. Both red and white vinegar is more commonly used in the countries of the Central Europe and Mediterranean region.

Cider Vinegar
Cider vinegar or apple cider vinegar is another popular substitute. It is prepared from apple must and is not only used for cooking purposes, but known for several health benefits. It is, however, more acidic than white wine vinegar, which should be kept in mind while substituting cider vinegar for wine vinegar.

Rice Wine Vinegar
As the name suggests, rice vinegar is made from rice wine or fermented rice. It is more commonly used in Asian countries like China, Vietnam, Japan and Korea. Rice vinegar can be of three types, black rice vinegar, white rice vinegar and red rice vinegar. White rice vinegar has a mild flavor, and can be colorless or pale yellow in color. Black rice vinegar is processed from the black glutinous rice or millet, which gives it a dark color and a strong flavor. Red white vinegar, on the other hand, is made from the red yeast rice, which imparts a distinctive red color to it.

White Vinegar
The common white vinegar is a clear or colorless liquid, with no flavor and looks very similar to white wine vinegar. White vinegar is mainly made through fermentation of distilled alcohol, or by simply combining water and acetic acid. On the other hand, white wine vinegar is processed from actual white wine. However, white vinegar can be used in the place of white wine vinegar. But, white vinegar is much stronger or acidic than the white wine vinegar. So, be sure to dilute white vinegar while using it as a substitute.

Sometimes lemon or lime juice, champagne vinegar (made from champagne), balsamic vinegar (made from balsam) and sherry vinegar can also be used as substitutes of this vinegar, depending on the particular recipe. However, one should be a bit careful while cooking with vinegar, as it can dissolve certain metals like aluminum, iron and copper. Therefore, it is advisable to use glass, stainless steel, wood or plastic utensils, while cooking with vinegar.