Red Wine Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper – freshly ground
- 2 tbsp shallot – finely minced
- 9 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
1. In a small bowl, whisk the red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, kosher salt, and black pepper until the salt dissolves.
2. Stir in the finely minced shallot and let sit 5 minutes to lightly macerate.
3. While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in the extra-virgin olive oil until the vinaigrette is emulsified and slightly thickened.
4. Taste and adjust salt or pepper as needed. Use immediately or transfer to a jar, cover, and let stand 10 minutes before dressing salads; shake to re-emulsify before each use.
Red wine vinaigrette is a bright, tangy salad dressing built on the classic French formula of vinegar balanced by oil, lifted with mustard, and often perfumed with a little shallot. The texture is silky yet light, coating tender greens without weighing them down and bringing snap to tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, and grains. Its appeal lies in clean acidity, gentle heat from Dijon, and a subtle allium sweetness that rounds the edges.
Historically, vinaigrette traces to French culinary practice, with written ratios of oil to vinegar appearing in 19th- and early 20th-century cookery. Red wine vinegar became a natural partner thanks to the wine culture of France and its readily available byproduct vinegars. Over time, this simple emulsion spread internationally, remaining a staple because it is both versatile and stable, adapting to countless salad styles while retaining a distinctly French character.