Vinaigrette dressings take a salad to a new zingy, zesty, and tangy level. Wine vinegar is the key ingredient to vinaigrettes, including sherry, champagne, white wine, red wine, muscat, or other showstoppers. Familiar with only red wine vinegar, I had limited experience with others until culinary school back in 2006.
My favorite salad dressings include Banyuls vinegar or sherry vinegar. Their oaky finish pairs well with hazelnut oil when gently emulsified and mixed with baby gem lettuce or with bitter—like radicchio—and peppery greens like arugula. Try red wine vinegar with a healthy fat to make your salad dressing sing; for instance, vinegar with lemon and avocado dressings is always great. Alternatively, use a lot of paprika, dried herbs, and red wine vinegar to spice up your Greek salad.
Suggestions for substitutions
Sometimes wine vinegar is an excellent substitution for sherry. Substitute Champagne vinegar if the recipe calls for sherry vinegar and you don't have any handy.
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Chef, what are the ratios for salad dressing?
1:2 acid: oil. To emulsify, you must keep one hand mixing while you gently, little by little, add your oil. The volume whipped up will change the flavor and add depth to your salads. If you put both components together simultaneously, the mixture won't emulsify.
We will talk about types of lettuces in another blog.