Swig or pour its up to you!

Vinegar Queen of Victory Farm Kitchen

Pull up a stool, love, and mind the flagstones, they’re older than gossip and twice as hard.

I’m Peggy, Manx Landgirl, apron enthusiast, and reigning Vinegar Queen of Victory Farm Kitchen.

If it can pickle, sharpen, preserve, or make a salad sit up straight and behave, chances are I’ve had a hand in it.

Today, I’m uncorking one of my firm favourites. No drumroll, just a sensible clink of glass.

Red Wine Vinegar

Bold. Grown-up. Knows what it’s doing.

Now then. Red wine vinegar is what happens when good wine decides not to go to waste. It matures, gathers its thoughts, and comes back with opinions. Deep ruby in colour, brisk on the tongue, and unapologetically confident, it’s the vinegar that clears its throat before entering the room.

At Victory Farm Kitchen, we admire that sort of character.

What Makes It Special?

Red wine vinegar brings a robust tang with a rounded warmth underneath. Not sharp for the sake of it, not meek either. It’s the backbone vinegar. The one you reach for when food needs structure, not fuss.

Think:

• Salads that refuse to be floppy• Lentils with a bit of backbone• Roasted vegetables that want a little drama• Beef, lamb, mushrooms, tomatoes, all saying “thank you very much”

A splash wakes things up. Two splashes tells everyone you meant it.

Peggy’s Proper Uses (No Nonsense)

I use red wine vinegar when:

• A stew needs lifting without turning sour• A dressing needs depth, not sugar• A pan wants deglazing and a bit of gossip scraped up from the bottom• Pickled onions are expected to be taken seriously

And here’s a quiet truth from one Landgirl to another: it’s the vinegar that makes simple food feel intentional.

A Wartime Staple with Staying Power

Vinegar has always been a kitchen workhorse. During leaner times, it preserved, stretched, sharpened, and saved the day more often than it got credit for. Red wine vinegar was prized when you could get it, and treasured when you couldn’t.

That spirit still lives on here at Victory Farm Kitchen. Nothing wasted. Everything useful. Flavour with purpose.

Peggy’s Final Word

Red wine vinegar isn’t flashy. It doesn’t flirt. It gets on with the job and does it well. If your kitchen cupboard were a village, this one would be the dependable neighbour who always brings the right thing and never makes a fuss about it.

Next time, I’ll introduce you to another bottle from my shelf. Until then, keep your lids tight, your dressings lively, and your vinegar where you can reach it.

Yours,Peggy 

Vinegar Queen, Victory Farm Kitchen