Only brand I've used for sixty years...

^Agree Pompeian is good. It's really a matter of personal taste. I've also been fine with both TJ's and Sprouts' RWV. Terra Medi and Lucini are both good. I know I've bought Lucini's RWV at Target.

I'm always happy to grab one of O's RWV if I see them at HomeGoods. I pretty much like any of O's vinegars (and oils) I've tried.

Their Sherry and Champagne vinegar are also both good.

I get a big gallon jug of Cento from the Italian grocery store nearby and use it to refill a wine bottle. I think it's about $6.00 a gallon.

I've long used Pompeian and love it, but a recent picking up of the O champagne makes me think I should try their red wine as well.

Anything but Pompeian....harsh! Alessi or even Bertolli is better. But go to an Italian grocery for some good stuff.

It depends on what you want. I'm not sure I'd call Pompeian "harsh" as Linda did, but one of the things I like about it is that it's more vinegary, and I use it a lot for salad dressings which I want to have more sharpness in. I also have some of the good stuff which is better for sauces and other mellower uses. I don't have a favorite brand, however. I just tend to buy what looks best where I am, and haven't noticed enough difference to develop a brand loyalty.

Opinions can really vary, so just try some different ones to see what you think. I like RWV to be fairly assertive but not astringent. If you're near a HomeGoods, look for the O brand I mentioned for a try. It's also about half the price there than other sources I've checked, such as Amazon. I often stop at HomeGoods just to check for O's vinegars and oils. FWIW, their Pomegranate Vinegar is also nice and one of my faves for a spinach salad or drizzled over roasted asparagus.

I've always been happy with Regina RWV

seagrass

The only one available in my small town grocery is Pompeian, so that's what I have. I haven't been shopping at TJs or any of the bigger places since the pandemic started, and I used up the last of my bottle of "fancy" stuff that I got at a local winery a couple of years ago, so it's that or nothing. Since I use very little of it, it'll probably last another decade, LOL. I have one marinade recipe that calls for a tablespoon of red wine vinegar, so I'm good for a while, I just bought that bottle of Pompeian a couple of weeks ago.

I tend to use other vinegars more often, with apple cider vinegar and rice vinegar getting the heaviest use currently.

Annie

I do have Pompeian on hand usually, but for the past few years have preferred glass bottles, proby just for aesthetics, idk...

For a cheap all purpose Pompeian is fine. I like the organic as it has the 'mother' for gut health. I like the white. They also have an organic red wine.

I stock Banyuls for my red wine vinegar. It is for the drip and drizzles. A bottle often lasts nearly a year. The white organic for dressings.

I simplified my vinegars and oils a number of years ago. Flavored ones are not welcome. I like to know what I'm using and how it will affect a dish. I'm on a bare basics using apple cider, (with the mother), un-seasoned rice, (no sugar added), two main oils...chosen brand avocado oil and Zoe evoo. Coconut for certain baking like crackers and granola. No highly processed oils. Toasted sesame oil in the fridge.

I also have Banyuls, which I use when I want something very acidic, but it is not my favorite. I frequently use a cheap "Balsamic" vinegar instead of red wine vinegar, and for that, I use Modenaceti. It tastes nothing like the authentic aged Balsamic vinegars I have that are as sweet and thick as molasses, but with much more complex flavor, of course. Modenaceti Balsamic vinegar has caramel added to it, and I guess that is why it is slightly sweet, which cuts the acidic flavor a bit. Sometimes I want tart (and use Banyuls) and sometimes I do not.

I've bought Colavita red wine vinegar in the past, but I don't have any on hand at the moment. At least it is inexpensive. I guess I did not like it, since I no longer buy it, but it is easy to find.

Acetaia Ducale Estense makes my favorite white wine vinegar (from Pinot Grigio), and I would try their red wine vinegar if I happen to see it.

I don't have a favorite I guess but I looked in the cupboard and I have a half full bottle of Heinz RWV so I guess either 1) it my favorite 2) it was the only brand available where I bought it 3) it was the least expensive brand where I bought it.

I'm guessing #3. I don't use it very often.

Thanks, all! I guess I'll have to just start trying different ones to see if there's anything I like better than the Filipo Berio. I have a handful of recipes that use RWV (both cooked and cold dishes), so its use isn't infrequent.

I've always been leery of buying food items at Home Goods (love fishing through the cheap junky stuff to find some kitchen and serving ware treasures, though!) -- I have the impression it's old stock. But maybe I'm completely wrong in that - ?

I also have put the mother from another bottle of vinegar into the leftovers in a bottle of red wine, stoppered it loosely with a twisted piece of paper towel and let it do it's thing. Trouble is I don't often have leftover red wine.

"I have the impression it's old stock."

I think they have to be as careful as anyone else when it comes to selling edible items and expiration dates. The edible items I've bought at HomeGoods have pretty much been vinegar, oils, spices/herbs and Nielsen-Massey vanilla. I've done it for years and never had a problem. They don't stock in large volume, so things like NM vanilla and O vinegars/oils tend to disappear quickly. It can be very hit or miss, but the hits can be well worth it.

ETA - Just wanted to add they do often have some questionable edible items on the shelves. Though not old, I'm sure they have candy items that aren't exactly high quality. The other day I noticed a bag of Cotton Candy Flavored Gummy Worms. You have to wonder who buys that stuff.

A half dozen years ago, maybe 8-10, Home Goods put my pantry into a disaster of pantry pests. A couple spice blends, yikes. Full of larva and bugs. They contract the bottom of the barrel suppliers with no interest about quality across the board...only commerce dollars. Pretty labels. 😳 ...that pushed me into bulk whole spice and making my own spice blends.

That turned me into a search engine for better product by research.

Hmm, I will have to try the different brands. All's I have ever bought has been the store brand.

My sister makes our family's (red wine) vinegar using my late uncle's mother -- really. But when I have to buy vinegar, I look for anything at least 7 percent acid.

Lately, I have been using O brand Cabernet Vinegar. It's delicious.

I make my own! Have for about 20 years now. It's really good!

How do you make your own red wine vinegar? How long does it take? From what I've read on line, it takes three months. Where do you get the vinegar mother?
Is it easy to make small quantities? I do not use all that much red wine vinegar anyway, but I think it would be nice to control the flavor.

Costco has organic apple cider vinegar with the "mother." And it's in a glass bottle, which all vinegars should be. Bragg's is another brand.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=braggs+apple+cider+vinegar+with+the+mother+slap&i=grocery&dc&crid=1CBT1MJ81YLEM&sprefix=braggs+apple+cider+vinegar+with+the+mother%2Caps%2C191&ref=a9_sc_1

Lars I have had that vinegar but never found a source for it . Where you able to order it online?

Consumer fraud is so infuriating. The recent UCDavis testing twenty avocado oils and only two were pure. One was rancid without any avocado at all. Thankfully the one I get at Costco the past 5-6 years is pure, phew. I cringed ready the article beginnings...

Most grocery balsamic is fake and full of added sugars and red dye. Olive oils not olive at all...a blend. Many asian black vinegars are fake. Caramel coloring.

Labeling is often not true.

Sourcing has become important. Not just their website, but those that hunt the source. Visit the farm, the process, the fermentation, the canning/bottling. Open book about the process.

Twoyur, this is where I ordered the red wine vinegar. I found it at several on-line sources, but this one had the best price, once shipping was added it.

I only buy Japanese black vinegar and only at Japanese markets. The Chinese black vinegars taste nothing like it.

I am also annoyed that so many vinegars in the U.S. call themselves "Balsamic" without the proper Italian certification. I had fake Balsamic vinegar at a pizza restaurant in Florence that was very popular with young Americans, and I complained about it to the waiter. He told me that the rest of the Americans loved it, and that was that. He knew it was fake. We only went to that restaurant on our last evening in Florence. We had been avoiding it, even though it was the closest restaurant to our hotel in the historic central district.

I was unaware of avocado oil fraud! I've bought olive oil from the olive ranches here, and I often find it in the farmers' market. I always ask about the harvest date. Local California olive oil tends to be a bit expensive, and the flavors vary quite a bit. We had a good time tasting various olive oils in Paso Robles, which is known more for its wine. We bought wine there too, but that area is better for red wine than white, and I generally prefer white. I do like red wine with some cheeses, however.

The same is true with olive oil fraud. 60 Minutes did a segment on it five years ago.

https://vimeo.com/168258014

Well, the local groceries don't have a great selection of RWV -- I bought Colavita and will give that a dry.

What's a good balsamic? I've been using Academia Barilla, and it's labelled Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP - so that's not the fake stuff, right? Well, I like it regardless. :0)

Here's an example of authentic Balsamic vinegar, available from Amazon, aged 25 years.

Any DOP certified Balsamic vinegar will have been aged at least 12 years. You can get some that has been aged 8 years that is close, and that will still cost you at least $75 or $99 for six ounces. This is not a vinegar that you would typically use on a salad, although I do add small amounts to my vinaigrette for sweetness. The aged ones are sweeter than molasses. The best substitute for this would be pomegranate molasses, but it still will not have as complex a flavor. I use aged Balsamic vinegar mainly on fruit, such as apples and strawberries. You can do a search for aceto balsamico tradizionale di modena to find it. Pay attention to how many years it has been aged, as that will affect the price, and 12 years is the minimum to be considered "tradizionale."

The fake balsamic vinegars can be good substitutes for red wine vinegar, and if you like them, that is all that matters. I do buy fake white and red balsamic vinegars and use them in salad dressings.

Here is the recent article about the consumer fraud in avocado oil. HERE

Includes a link to the study. Advanced methods of testing should help to protect against fraud. Just not in place yet.

Similar articles about vinegars and olive oils easily found.

There's a lot of tricky wording with aged balsamic vinegar , and Williams Sonoma has a 25 year aged balsamic for $30, and this is because they use a drop of old must from the 25 yr old barrels and combine with a bottle of "new" so it's not really aged at all although it may taste good. They're not hiding this, but you have to read the blurb carefully.

And some just have 'must' listed. Often table grapes and not wine grapes. It isn't considered fraud if the labeling is transparent. Caramel coloring, thickeners, added sugars...

I know someone, definitely not a friend !, that used to make fancy labeled olive oil out of crap barrels of cheap stuff and some green dye. Back in the 80's. A cheat #10 can of green olives packed in oil in a blender and strain it for the murky 'look'. What a jerk.

Authentic Balsamic vinegar is only made in Italy, and the bottles will have labels in Italian. Look for the word "Tradizionale," as it is illegal in Italy to use this word to describe fake Balsamic vinegar. The bottles will also have cork stoppers - never screw-on tops.