The Best Substitute For Red Wine Vinegar

Red wine vinegar is a useful ingredient to have in your cupboard. It's perfect in many marinades, just the thing for a ton of vinaigrettes, and incredible in a three-ingredient pizza sauce. But what happens when you look into your cupboard and find you're fresh out of red wine vinegar?

While it's difficult to find a replacement that completely matches its qualities, there are certainly substitutes that will do the trick if you're in a bit of a bind. The best replacement is balsamic vinegar, which can fill the void left by red wine vinegar while bringing its own strong characteristics. Some people do think red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar are simply too different to be swapped; balsamic vinegar is, after all, considerably bolder. But their flavors do generally mirror each other — and you can also add some regular white vinegar to thin balsamic out a bit. This adjusts the taste and brings its thicker viscosity more into line with red wine vinegar's.

But perhaps you're somewhat unsatisfied with substituting balsamic vinegar for red wine vinegar, whether it's because you find the two ingredients too starkly different or because balsamic vinegar would simply be too pronounced in your desired dish. That's alright — there are still several other options out there, though some require a little MacGyver-style work on your end.

One common substitute for red wine vinegar is white wine vinegar. It's subject to the inherent differences between the two types of wine, but the white wine-based stuff is still full of sharp, fruity notes. You can also give apple cider vinegar a shot. Its sweet flavor isn't entirely unlike that of wine, and it's already a proven replacement for rice vinegar. If you've got some white vinegar and a bottle of red wine on hand, you can create your own red wine vinegar. Simply mix the two ingredients at a ratio of 1 part wine to 3 parts vinegar for your homebrewed solution. Is it the exact same thing as the fermented original? No. But will it get you your results in a pinch? You bet. So if your recipe is coming along beautifully only to run aground when you realize you're out of red wine vinegar, don't worry — with some quick thinking, you can still succeed.