Best Red Wine Vinegar Substitutes (Top 7)

Red wine vinegar is a very important ingredient in cooking some dishes, you may have been in a situation where you trying to cook but you discover that red wine vinegar is missing, it is always very painful. Next time something like that happens, you don’t need to change plans, all you need to do is to use an alternative of red wine vinegar.

What we need to find out is the best alternatives. Aged white wine vinegar has been recommended as a substitute for red wine vinegar due to similar acidity and flavor and they are both used interchangeably in several recipes. Some other options you can use include tamarind paste, lemon juice, sherry vinegar, balsamic, rice vinegar, and apple cider. You have to keep reading to find out the replacements that are excellent for sauces and dressings and also those suitable to marinate meat. In any case, if you cannot relate with the listed substitutes above, then you should use the homemade substitute red wine vinegar.

 

The 7 Best Red Wine Vinegar Substitutes

The first thing you have to consider in selecting a replacement is what the vinegar function as in the meal you are trying to prepare. It is preferable to mix red wine and vinegar if the dish requires the taste of red wine. You are allowed to use any other kind of vinegar if the wine taste is not essential to your dish and you only need a little amount of it to give the acidity. If you want to use red wine to marinate your meat so that it will be tender, you can replace it with any other high acidity level ingredient.

Check below for the top seven replacements for red wine vinegar:

Rank From The Least	Product Name	Flavor
1.	Rani Tamarind Paste	Acidic, slightly sour
2.	Realemon 100% Lemon Juice	Acidic, tart
3.	L’Estornell Reserva Sherry Wine Vinegar	Balanced acidity and sweetness
4.	Marukan Genuine Brewed Rice Vinegar	Mild, tangy
5.	Colavita Aged Balsamic Vinegar of Modena	Sweet, mild
6.	Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar	Fruity
7.	Colavita Aged White Wine Vinegar	This has a milder flavor but it is the closest to your red wine vinegar.

1. Rani Tamarind Paste 

Though it is unusual to be used as a replacement for your red wine vinegar, tamarind paste still works. Only those familiar with Middle Eastern and Asian dishes will have familiarity with the tamarind paste. The paste is made from tamarind fruit and it has acidity and a slight sourness that makes it an excellent substitute for your red wine vinegar. It can be used to marinate meat because it has tartaric acid. The paste contains antioxidants and it is anti-inflammatory. Consider using Rani Brand for the best tamarind paste, check out why:

• It does not contain preservatives or GMOs
• It is vegan friendly and gluten-free
• No sugar is added to the paste
• It is made of 100% natural tamarind pulp
• It has vitamin B and calcium

Tamarind paste helps to tenderize your meat just like the red wine vinegar. This makes it a very excellent substitute to marinate meat and seafood. You should try to begin with a little amount because the tamarind paste has a strong ingredient that may overshadow other marinade tastes.

2. Realemon 100% Lemon Juice

Consider lemon juice as a very versatile ingredient that can be used as substitutes for any kind of vinegar. Lemon juice is used in salad dressings and as tenderizers. If the meal you are trying to make does not need to taste like red wine, lemon juice will serve as an alternative. Lemon juice contains acidic properties and getting the brand Realemon is still the best. Check the reason below:

• It is considered as efficient and as strong as lemon juice that has been freshly squeezed.
• It contains juice from two different lemons

You cannot achieve a similar flavor profile when you use lemon juice to replace red wine vinegar. Whenever you are making a recipe that the red wine flavor does not need to show, then lemon juice is your best bet for the acidity. Because lemon juice has a sour taste when used in larger amounts, consider using less when you are dealing with a dish that red wine is seriously required. You can use lime juice as a substitute if you cannot find lemons.

 

3. L’Estornell Reserva Sherry Wine Vinegar

People usually consider sherry vinegar made from sherry wine to be similar to balsamic vinegar and also to apple cider vinegar when you check the sweetness. Sherry vinegar is commonly used for Spanish dishes. Check out why L’Estornell Reserva is the best option:

• You can use it in sauces and salad dressings.
• It contains a high acidity of 9.3%
• It has balanced acidity, sweetness, and tanginess.

Use the same amount as red wine vinegar when you are using sherry vinegar as a substitute. Even though sherry vinegar has a milder taste, it should be used in ratio 1:1. If you are trying to maintain the acidity of a dish, use sherry vinegar, but you need to reduce the ingredients that have sweet flavors in the dish.

 

4. Marukan Genuine Brewed Rice Vinegar

You can use rice vinegar as a replacement for red wine vinegar but the dish will be of a milder flavor because rice vinegar has less intense tanginess than red wine vinegar. For meat marinade and vinaigrettes, an excellent substitute for red wine vinegar is the rice vinegar. It can also be used to make stir-fries sauces. Check out why you should choose this brand as your rice vinegar substitute for red wine vinegar below:

• It contains no carbohydrates.
• It is considered vegan-friendly
• It contains acidity of 4.3%.
• The ingredients in making them are all-natural.

Use one rice vinegar part as a substitute for one red wine vinegar part. You could add more because the rice wine vinegar is more intense.

 

5. Colavita Aged Balsamic Vinegar of Modena

Balsamic vinegar is a very popular ingredient that is drizzled over the meat, pasta, salads, and other meals. There is a high chance that you will have it in your pantry. Balsamic vinegar does not have a similar taste to red wine vinegar. Its taste is milder and it gives sweetness to foods. Use Colavita Aged Balsamic Vinegar is you want to use balsamic vinegar as a replacement for the red wine vinegar. Check out why it is exceptionally good below:

• It contains 6% acidity
• Its taste is rich and quite intense
• It is usually aged for three years in walnut, cherry, and oak barrels.

Balsamic vinegar might not be considered a good alternative for your red wine vinegar because of its sweetness and mildness. But because of the acidic qualities, it can be used as a replacement for acidity. It is a very good alternative in recipes of salad dressings. Take caution by starting with a little amount and subsequently add as you need to. This is because you don’t want to boost the salad’s sweetness.

6. Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar

One of the considered best replacements for your red wine vinegar in vinaigrettes is the apple cider vinegar because it contains fruity notes unlike other varieties of vinegar and could be used excellently for fresh salads. Use Bragg Organic if you want to use apple cider vinegar to replace red wine vinegar. Check below for why it is excellent:

• It does not contain any GMO
• It is very excellent for salads
• It contains several healthy properties
• It is gotten from apples grown organically

It is either you use the apple cider vinegar directly to replace red wine vinegar or you mix it with red wine itself to get the best taste that resembles red wine vinegar. One apple cider vinegar part can be for two red wine vinegar parts. In case you are to use apple cider vinegar for the first time, endeavor to add a little amount and subsequently add more as needed after tasting. If your recipe needs four red wine vinegar tablespoons, mix three apple cider vinegar tablespoons with one red wine tablespoon so that you will have a similar acidity and taste.

7. Colavita Aged White Wine Vinegar

This substitute is regarded as one of the most common alternatives for the red wine vinegar. They are both sometimes used in some recipes interchangeably. They are both similar in acidity percentage and flavor. Note, however, that red wine vinegar tastes a bit more intense. You are most likely to like Colavita white as long as you also like balsamic vinegar because Colavita white has a flavor that is mild resembling the flavor of balsamic vinegar. You must also find out its tartness specific if you want to cider this wine vinegar. This substitute is worth your purchase in that:

• It does not contain GMOs
• It is contained aged in the wooden barrels
• It contains acidity of 6% that makes it balance excellently in salad dressing most especially when used with some other ingredients.

You have to use it in the same amount as your red wine vinegar when you use it as a substitute. It has a 1:1 ratio and that is why it is considered the easiest replacement.

Bonus: Homemade Red Wine Vinegar Substitute  

In case you are making a dish that you will need to use red wine vinegar and you do not have at home, you can make your homemade substitute. If you need the acidic and a red wine taste qualities in a dish, you should consider making your substitute and all you need is red wine and cider vinegar. Red wine will give you the red wine flavor while the cider vinegar will give the acidity. Because of the acidic properties, vinegar also does what an emulsifier does for salad dressings. All you need to do is to mix three cider vinegar parts with one red wine part and you will have your perfect red wine vinegar replacement.

You may use white vinegar instead of cider vinegar, but you have to mix 1.5 white vinegar tablespoons with one red wine tablespoon to substitute one red wine vinegar tablespoon.

Related Questions Asked

Can You Replace Red Wine Vinegar with Red Wine?

If you want to use red wine as an alternative for red wine vinegar, you have to consider some things. Red wine has lesser acidity so the dish is not expected to be acidic. If you do not require acidity in your dish, red wine could be a good alternative for your red wine vinegar. Red wine, however, has a richer taste and can be used when considering the taste. Red wine has a similar color and consistency with the vinegar and this makes it a good alternative.