WineLovers Discussion Group

Anyone done this? I came across a recipe for making the dressing with sparkling wine vinegar. I use many wine vinegars, including Champagne, but have never seen one calling for a sparkling wine. What would be the purpose?

Karen/NoCA wrote:Anyone done this? I came across a recipe for making the dressing with sparkling wine vinegar. I use many wine vinegars, including Champagne, but have never seen one calling for a sparkling wine. What would be the purpose?

As a reporter who has had to deal with copy-editor inaneness, I wonder if the writer actually put down "Champagne vinegar," and an editor, seeking precision, changed "Champagne" to "Sparkling wine."

Robin, I don't know but it is a recipe from Ina Garten from one of her new shows touring Napa Valley. It is printed online as sparkling wine. I am watching the show today, so I will be observant to this question.

Karen/NoCA wrote:Robin, I don't know but it is a recipe from Ina Garten from one of her new shows touring Napa Valley. It is printed online as sparkling wine. I am watching the show today, so I will be observant to this question.

Let us know! I have a half-bottle of leftover "J" Vintage Brut.

Did the recipe call for sparkling wine or sparkling wine vinegar? If former (as in title), I've used white wines as a part of a salad dressing when I was trying to avoid vinegar. Could try with sparkling. If latter, as it seems from question , then I can't see how it matters. The fermentation of acetobacter is oxidative (my terminology could be wrong here- Mark L?), there sure as hell won't be any sparkle there (as there isn't in Champagne vinegar).

Yes, subject line should have said sparkling wine vinegar. Here is the recipe.
[url]
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina- ... index.html[/url]

I think Robin nailed it.

Well, if you're doing a show in Napa there's no Champagne to be had.

Googling "sparkling wine vinegar" leads to a lot of hits for Katz's Sparkling Wine Vinegar plus a couple for the St Helena Olive Oil Co.'s product. I'm guessing that Ina's contract doesn't let her use brand names (unless they are sponsors).
I wonder if the same grandfather rules for use of Champagne on label apply to vinegars- pretty sure most of the "Champagne vinegars" in grocery store are not from Champagne, maybe grandfathered in a la Korbel.

Methinks they are just being politically correct. I'll bet the Champagne Vinegar on the shelf will taste the same.