The process of making wine vinegar is very simple, but it requires patience.
When I was in Italy, I once stayed with a local family. On their kitchen counter stood a small wooden barrel. Each time the family enjoyed wine and there was a bit left in the bottle, they poured the remainder into the barrel. Slowly, over time, the wine turned into vinegar.
At our place, we have a large wooden barrel where we pour any leftover wine from opened bottles, or wine that did not turn out well from our friends at Harashim Winery.
In recent years, when the grapevines here have produced especially large harvests, we have made vinegar directly from the grapes themselves. We press the grapes and transfer the entire mash (juice, seeds, skins, and all) into a jar for about ten days. Then we strain the liquid, pour it into a barrel covered with a breathable cloth, and stir it well until it turns into vinegar. This way we make vinegar straight from grapes without first making wine.
Ingredients:
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Wine
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Large glass jar
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Muslin or thin cotton cloth
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Wooden spoon
Instructions:
- Place a large glass jar on the counter.
- Pour any leftover wine from opened bottles into the jar. You can continue adding more leftovers over time.
- Cover the jar with the cloth and secure it with a rubber band, to keep insects out.
- Every few days, stir well with a wooden spoon.
- After about a month, taste the liquid. You should notice the mild sourness developing. (Homemade vinegar usually has a softer flavor than store-bought vinegar.)
- You can leave the vinegar in the jar, keep adding more wine leftovers, and stir occasionally. Once you have a sufficient amount, transfer it into bottles. You will have your own homemade wine vinegar.
The better the wine you use, the richer and more complex the flavor of your vinegar will be.
