I’m looking to improve my pantry, and while I have a various selection of different vinegars, rice, red wine, white, wine, balsamic, and apple cider, they are the standard basic grocery store vinegars, I know balsamic has a huge range, and I would like to get a few different in that grouping, other than the cheap one I have.
I use mostly White wine, rice wine for cooking, & the occasional balsamic for finishing salads, I also use lot’s of lemons and limes, chardonnay, & dry vermouth lately.
Which vinegars or acidic do you like to use most for finishing dishes, and do you have a preferred brand for taste?
Last edited by Richard Chrz; September 14, 2026, 10:41 AM.
We love Nona Pia's Classic Balsamic Glaze. Picked up our first bottle from Costco about 6 years ago and never looked back. It's nice and syrupy and tastes delicious.
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Richard Chrz our pantries are similar. Rice vinegar, red wine, sherry vinegar for recipes. A very nice balsamic for finishing. I actually made a tarragon vinegar with a surplus of fresh herbs a while back. ACV is always on hand for recipes and health benefits.
in a pinch, to “beef up” your balsamic, try reducing it some. I understand balsamic from Modena is the best.
Yea Nona Pia's and Ponzu ae solid choices. Try to find some that are aged. Like good wine the older they are the more complex they get. This one from my local HEB is sweet as candy, awesome stuff !!!
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Richard … I highly recommend Villa Manodori Balsamic Vinegar (from Chef Massimo Bottura in Modena, Italy). It’s not cheap but it’s good enough to serve as a fine finishing vinegar and (just barely ) affordable enough to cook with. I order it from Amazon. I hope you decide to give it a try.
Richard Chrz - I forgot to mention that Olio2go.com is an awesome source of high quality Italian vinegars and oils.
Last edited by MBMorgan; September 14, 2026, 11:11 PM.
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Look Into TJ Robinson's Olive Oil Club. He typically has an interesting vinegar package during Christmas. Do not need to be a quarterly club member to purchase. I have gotten it a couple of times. A good balsamic + others. And look into The Mala Market, in Nashville. for Chinese variants.
It's been mentioned already, but I want to emphasize Sherry vinegar. There are lots of good ones available, including aged varieties. They have a lot of complex flavor and are somewhat "brighter" than a good balsamic. I bought cboss a variety of them a few years back and we have enjoyed using them.
) affordable enough to cook with. I order it from 
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