White wine vinegar plays a big part in many recipes, especially in Italian and Mediterranean cuisine.
From sauces to vinaigrettes to pickling, this sharp and lightly fruity vinegar is a versatile ingredient that can serve all sorts of purposes.
If you’ve run out of white wine vinegar, or simply want to change things up a bit, you might be wondering what substitutes there are out there.
Luckily, we’ve done all the hard work for you and gathered a list of the 8 best substitutes for white wine vinegar out there!
So let’s jump right in!
White Wine Vinegar Substitutes
1) Apple Cider Vinegar
Tangy, sharp, and with a distinct fruity flavor, apple cider vinegar is a great alternative to white wine vinegar if you want something with a bit more punch.
Made primarily from fermented apple juice, apple cider vinegar has a bold flavor and a strong hit of acidity, though this is softened and balanced by the sweetness of this vinegar.
The apple juice contains sugar that takes the sharp edge away from the vinegar for a more mellow taste.
Because of its fruity taste and milder acidity, apple cider vinegar is a great substitute for white wine vinegar and can be used as a 1:1 replacement in most recipes despite its stronger flavor.
2) Rice Vinegar
If you want a vinegar replacement with a more subtle flavor, then rice vinegar is just what you need!
This mild vinegar has a gentle sweetness and slight sourness to it, making it a noninvasive and effective choice for a white wine vinegar replacement.
Traditionally used in Asian cuisine, rice vinegar can come in both seasoned and unseasoned varieties.
Unseasoned rice vinegar is typically better as a substitute for white wine vinegar; seasoned rice vinegar contains sugar and salt, which can affect the taste of your dish and make it harder to control the seasonings of your food.
3) Champagne Vinegar
Champagne vinegar is a very close match to white wine vinegar, making it a great substitute.
In fact, the two are nearly identical in most ways; however, champagne vinegar has a much more subtle flavor that makes it great if you need something with less kick.
Champagne vinegar is also slightly sweeter than white wine vinegar, but not overpoweringly so.
It has a gentle, floral taste that gives it a bit more complexity, and it works great with brighter flavors like zesty lemons or sweet honey.
4) Sherry Vinegar
To contrast champagne vinegar, sherry vinegar is like a more refined version of white wine vinegar.
Sherry vinegar (see also ‘Sherry Vinegar: The 8 Best Substitutes‘) has a sharper, distinct taste with fruity notes and a full body. It’s also renowned for its smoother taste when compared to other wine vinegars.
With a rich and fruity taste and bold presence, sherry vinegar is ideal when used in marinades or added to a stew.
5) Honey Vinegar
This sweet and light vinegar is made from mead, a type of honey wine. This gives it a distinctly sweet taste and richer body, which softens the acidity for a smoother vinegar.
With its high sugar content, honey vinegar makes a great glaze for roasting meat and/or vegetables, or giving a hit of floral sweetness to a vinaigrette.
6) White Vinegar
Don’t get confused – white vinegar and white wine vinegar are actually two different ingredients!
White vinegar has a stronger taste and higher acidity than white wine vinegar, as it lacks the more complex flavor profile that white wine vinegar does.
However, if you’re stuck with no alternatives, white vinegar can make an easy alternative to white wine vinegar.
7) Red Wine Vinegar
Don’t have any white wine vinegar? Then red wine vinegar is the next best thing!
These two vinegars are very similar, with the differences between the two being fairly consistent with the normal differences between red and white wine – red wine vinegar has a bolder flavor and less sweetness, but otherwise the two are largely similar.
This makes red wine vinegar an ideal substitute for white wine vinegar, and you might not even be able to tell the difference!
8) Lemon Juice
If you’re out of white wine vinegar and have no better options available, a squeeze of lemon juice can make a decent vinegar substitute in a push.
Its acidity and tangy taste make it decently similar, and it works great in vinaigrettes and sauces.
Final Thoughts
There are plenty of substitute options for white wine vinegar out there, all of which add their own unique taste and profile to a recipe.
Whether you’re making a vinaigrette or a marinade, or even just adding these straight to your food, these tasty alternatives to white wine vinegar add a hit of acidity and flavor that helps balance out a meal.
Now that you know 8 of the best substitutes for white wine vinegar (see also ‘12 Chinese Black Vinegar Substitutes‘), you can give them a try. Who knows – you might like them even more than the original!
The 8 Best White Wine Vinegar Substitutes
Ingredients
Apple Cider Vinegar
Rice Vinegar
Champagne Vinegar
Sherry Vinegar
Honey Vinegar
White Vinegar
Red Wine Vinegar
Lemon Juice
Directions
- Decided on what substitute you need
- Pick a substitute from the list above
- Read what you need to substitute with
- Create the recipe and enjoy
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