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Vinegar often gets a bad rap. In fact, it’s safe to say that vinegar is the Rodney Dangerfield of the food world. The lack of respect given to vinegar by most consumers is no doubt due to the bottle of white distilled vinegar that many of us grew up with, one that was taken out once a year and used to wash the windows. One sip from these notorious bottles, usually done on a dare, would be enough to send one into a paroxysm of fits and perpetuate the idea that vinegar was an abhorrent thing to be avoided at all costs. Fortunately, those in the know have awakened to the sublime effects good vinegar can have on food, as well as to the huge variety that is now available in specialty shops and increasingly in supermarkets across the United States. Still, it seems consumers just don’t know what to do with the stuff. With a few exceptions, even most books that have been written about vinegar seem to concentrate more on its myriad household uses — from treating sunburn to keeping fleas at bay for Fido — than on its culinary role. Even if it is only used to dress a salad, there are enough types of vinegar to provide a panoply of flavors for even the most demanding gourmet. Here then is a look at the heretofore best-kept secret in the kitchen, a powerhouse of flavor and variety, and perhaps the best friend olive oil ever had.

A Very Homely Household Savor
Thus wrote the great sensualist poet Lord Byron, who also called vinegar a “sad, sour, sober beverage.” It is unlikely that Byron spent much time in the kitchen or he may have discovered what his cooks probably knew — that vinegar can enliven the dullest sauce, make vinaigrettes sing, and generally lend spark to a broad range of dishes. Vinegar can perk up soups and sauces, can be used instead of wine to deglaze a pan, and can add flavor to steamed vegetables or other mild-flavored foods. Additionally, vinegar can help make rice fluffier, eliminate cabbage odor, and freshen up slightly wilted vegetables by soaking them briefly in cold water and vinegar. And, of course, if there was no vinegar, there would be no pickles, a sad thought indeed.

According to Progressive Grocer Magazine, supermarket sales of vinegar now reach more than $200 million annually, a rising figure that many credit to the increasing demand for high-end, premium vinegars, especially those that are aged for extended periods of time, such as traditional balsamic vinegar, sherry vinegars, and the new wave of varietals from both Europe and America. Certainly, it helps that cookbooks are talking about vinegars more than ever, aided by the unprecedented availability of such a wide range of styles, flavors, and prices. All in all however, except for the most precious aceto balsamico (which is not actually made from wine but from cooked grape must), vinegar remains one of the most affordable of specialty foods, particularly when you compare it to extra-virgin olive oil or wine. In fact, a lot of excellent wine-based vinegar in the $10 to $20 range is on market shelves.

Arguably, those vinegars made from wine are the greatest of all. In fact, our word vinegar comes from the French vinaigre (literally “sour wine”) derived from the Latin vinum acer, which means the same thing. Like the wines they are made from, wine vinegars offer enormous range and versatility. Vinegar is the necessary, and quite natural, outcome of the life of grape juice (or any other fermentable liquid for that matter). Left to its own devices — and plenty of fresh air, grape or other fruit juice will naturally ferment. In other words, naturally occurring microflora and yeasts will begin to devour the sugars in the liquid and convert them into alcohol. If further left alone, acetic bacteria will invade and consume the alcohol, and in turn, change the alcohol into acid, or vinegar. Although the whole process will happen naturally, whether one intends for it to happen or not, today the mechanics of making commercial vinegar are highly controlled, or as controlled as one can be over Mother Nature.

The method by which virtually all fine wine-based vinegar is made is called the Orleans process, named for the French city on the banks of the Loire River where the method was developed. Essentially, the process involves using relatively small barrels in which the vinegar develops, and unlike wine, leaving the barrel partially unfilled to allow for the circulation of air and wild yeasts. A layer of gelatinous-looking material like a sleeping jellyfish will inevitably form on the surface. Called the “mother,” it is really just a conglomeration of the used-up Acetobacters and yeasts, a mass that will sometimes settle on the bottom and sometimes float on the surface. Mother will often develop in bottles of vinegar as well, especially those that have not been pasteurized, usually causing customers to think their vinegar has gone bad. In effect, the vinegar has already gone bad by virtue of becoming vinegar and nothing more can happen to it. The mother can take over if left alone, however, and it’s best to remove and discard it, or save it to start your own batch of vinegar.

Vinegar on the Shelves
The three biggest trends in vinegar based on what is being shown these days at the food shows around the country and around the world are these (in no particular order):

- VARIETAL VINEGARS. These are vinegars that are made from a specific grape variety, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, or Merlot to name the most well known. Spain has really led the way in this regard, at least in the practice of labeling the vinegar as such, followed closely by California vinegar makers. People like B.R. Cohn Olive Oil Co. and Kimberley Wine Vinegar Works are making excellent varietal vinegars and winning awards and accolades from chefs in the process.

- FLAVORED VINEGARS. These are not a modern invention. All sorts of flavorings have been added to vinegar since antiquity, including fruits and berries, garlic, herbs and spices, and honey. Today, the choices are seemingly endless, limited only by one’s imagination and the available raw materials. Flavored vinegars run the gamut from gimmicks to really useful culinary ingredients for cooking and finishing foods.

- VINEGARS FROM NON-TRADITIONAL SOURCES. Most of these are not so much new as simply newly discovered by American consumers and retailers. These include such things as cava vinegar made from Catalonia’s singular sparkling wine and sherry wine vinegar from one of the world’s most interesting and misunderstood beverages. Sherry, a fortified wine from the south of Spain, made by a unique aging process known as the solera method, makes excellent vinegar. Some of these are aged for as many years as sherry itself, and the complexity of these older versions rivals those of the traditional balsamic vinegars. Vinegar made from apple cider is one of Italy’s oldest-known vinegars and besides being delicious and versatile, it is often cited for its remedial uses, the virtues of which go back thousands of years. Recently, cane vinegars have been turning up in the marketplace. They are made from fermented cane sap, which incidentally is the first step toward making rum. They lean toward the sweet as one would expect, but not so sweet as to be used in all sorts of savory applications.

The key to success-fully merchandising your vinegar selection, especially if it is an extensive one, is twofold: Information and tasting. As to the first, you can’t give too much information about vinegar. Consider hanging a sign next to your vinegar display that details the vinegar-making process with pictures or diagrams, descriptions of the various types of vinegar (i.e. sherry, balsamic, red and white wine, etc.), suggestions for uses, and recipes. In terms of recipes, practice what you preach and feature vinegar-based dishes in your prepared foods section, displaying the particular vinegar used nearby.
Offering comparative tastings is very important to illustrate how different vinegars can be. For most people, the knowledge that you actually can taste vinegar is as much a revelation as the discovery of so many styles. In any case, tasting is an excellent place to start if you are introducing new vinegars to your clientele. Line up several each day as you would with olive oil and be sure to accompany each one with proper signage. Pour the vinegars into small white bowls to show off their colors and have plain white bread cubes to dip in the vinegars. Just as the ancient Romans offered bowls of vinegar at their tables for dipping, you should offer your own acetabulum to increase sales. Above all, taste as many vinegars as possible. The more knowledgeable you are yourself, the better you can pass on the enthusiasm for one of nature’s most delicious, versatile, and perfect foods.

Vinegar in the Cookbook Aisle
More and more cookbook authors are discussing specialty vinegars and using them in their recipes. It’s difficult to imagine that when Marcella Hazan wrote her first Italian cookbook in the early 1970s, she gave scant reference to balsamic vinegar, assuming that no one would be able to buy it without a trip to Italy. Today, authors know that even the most remote consumer has access to good-quality vinegar, either at their supermarket or via mail order. General cookbooks aside, there are three books about vinegar on my shelf that are worth seeking out.

The first, and one of my favorites, is Zingerman’s Guide to Good Vinegar (available from Zingerman’s Delicatessen, 888-636-8162) by Ari Weinzweig. This informative and well-written pamphlet contains just about everything one would need to know about specialty vinegar —how each is made, and how to select, use, and store them —by a retailer who travels the world in search of great food products. He shares stories about several artisan vinegar makers in Europe and the United States, and offers some of his own recipes to illustrate vinegar’s versatility.

The Good Cook’s Book of Oil & Vinegar (Addison Wesley) by Michele Anna Jordan is one you will have to search for, but it is available at used book stores and online. Although only half of the book is on vinegar, it is probably one of the most thorough books on the subject I’ve ever seen. Jordan details all sorts of historical, nutritional, and culinary information in an accessible and engaging manner, and she provides over 100 recipes using these two culinary stars, including one of my all-time favorites (see page 40). Alas, Addison Wesley is no more, but there remains hope that Jordan’s new publisher will reissue this classic in a new, updated format. We’ll look forward to it.

Vim & Vinegar (Harper Perennial) by Melodie Moore is a marvelous compendium of as the subtitle promises, “hundreds of ingenious household uses.” Moore is the publisher of Tightwad Living, a “newsletter dedicated to the everyday art of money saving.” One could certainly save a bundle with the myriad tips for using inexpensive vinegar throughout the home for cleaning, deodorizing, cooking, and preserving, as well as many simple remedies for common ailments. This is quite an ingenious book.

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RECIPE
ESCAROLE SALAD
Serves 8.
(Reprinted from César: Recipes from a Tapas Bar by yours truly, Olivier Said, and Chef Maggie Pond)
This illustrates how a little vinegar can add big flavor to a dish.

INGREDIENTS
- 1 or 2 small heads of escarole
- 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 24 black olives, pitted

INSTRUCTIONS
Remove the outer leaves and any discolored or ragged tops of the escarole. Tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces, and wash and dry thoroughly. Place in a large bowl.
Heat half of the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook it until it begins to color, then remove the pan from the heat and allow the garlic to continue to cook for several seconds to a golden brown. Lightly whisk the remaining oil, the vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar into the hot pan. Pour the hot vinaigrette over the escarole leaves and toss well. Serve immediately, with the olives scattered on top.

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RECIPE
KERMIT’S VINEGAR EGGS
(Reprinted from Michele Anna Jordan’s The Good Cook’s Book of Oil & Vinegar)
We ran this recipe several years ago, and it’s so good we are printing it again. Jordan borrowed it from one of wine merchant Kermit Lynch’s newsletters, many of which have recently been compiled into a handsome book titled Inspiring Thirst, Vintage Selections from the Kermit Lynch Wine Brochure (Ten Speed Press). This recipe is one of the best uses of vinegar.

INGREDIENTS
- 1 bottle good Beaujolais
- 2 eggs
- Butter
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- Bread

INSTRUCTIONS
First pour yourself a glass of cool Beaujolais. Then fry fresh eggs slowly in butter, covered, until the whites are firm but the yolks remain runny. Add salt and pepper and then slide the eggs out onto a warm platter. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar and reduce it by half. Thicken the sauce with a slice of butter and pour it over your eggs. You will want bread or toast for sopping up the sauce. You will also want another glass of Beaujolais.