CATEGORY

Red Wine Vinegar

2007 CHEFSBEST® AWARD FOR BEST TASTE WINNER

Pompeian Olive Oil, Inc.

What Makes a Great Red Wine Vinegar?

With its robust flavor, regular, non-distilled red wine vinegar is ideal for Mediterranean dishes or foods that need a tangy boost. Its pungent edge does wonders for salad dressings, marinades and many other recipes that call for regular vinegar. It’s also a healthy choice, containing beneficial flavonoids that help clear the arteries.

Our chefs define high-quality red wine vinegar as having a color that ranges from amber to burgundy. Red wine vinegar’s bold aroma should be pronounced with an aroma character that features complex wine, fermentation, grape and fruity notes. Aroma off notes should not be detected.

Red wine vinegar is in taste balance when bold sourness is the leading basic taste. Very low sweetness will follow along with minimal saltiness.

High-quality red wine vinegar should have a bold flavor with a complex flavor character that reflects the aroma’s wine, fermentation, grape and fruity notes. When used with a baguette, red wine vinegar should not lose its flavor; rather, the bread should enhance and accentuate the vinegar flavor notes. Red wine vinegar flavor should never get lost in a baguette’s flavors.

Red wine vinegar’s mouth weight will be slightly heavier than water, and the astringency, which makes the mouth pucker slightly, should be low. Due to its lack of sweetness, the mouthfeel is also expected to be slightly harsh, delivering a bite when sampled straight.

Product Category Definition

The category judged was defined as regular, non-distilled red wine vinegar for the consumer market, not including balsamic, cider, rice wine or white wine vinegar.

Other Leading Brands:

Regina, Star Fine Foods