So life gave you disappointing wine? Make vinegar, or mussels

I remember working in the corporate world and being grateful for the many bottles of wine I received from colleagues and vendors during the holidays. After all, wine makes an easy gift. However, some less-than-favorites seemed to remain on my wine rack forever. (I’m looking beyond my laptop at one on my buffet right now.) Whenever I dust, I consider re-gifting, but that’s too impersonal. Besides, if I don’t care for a certain varietal, I’d be reluctant to bring it to a dinner party where I may have to drink it.

Jerome Palumbo deglazes a pan before making sauce at Saloon restaurant in Philadelphia. | PHOTO BY NATALIE PANTALEO

So, what should we do with dust-collecting, unopened wine bottles, or even open ones that have begun to change flavor? Of course, cooking is always an option: coq au vin, poached pears, granita, zabaglione. But isn’t January supposed to be diet time, at least while the ink is drying on your New Year’s resolutions list? Nonetheless, stay tuned below for a mussels-in-wine recipe that’s on the lighter side.

In the meantime, consider another option for a boring winter weekend trapped inside the house with a cabinet full of wines you’re not inclined to drink: make homemade vinegar!

I’m not talking balsamic here – there’s no time for that. Did you know that for balsamic to receive the highest quality DOP grading in Italy, it’s required to age for a minimum of 12 years to 25 years or more?

“What needs aging when making balsamic is the ‘must,’ ” Sal Auriemma, owner of Claudio’s Specialty Foods on Philly’s 9^th Street Italian Market, told me. “Must” is freshly crushed grape juice, complete with skins, seeds, and stems. Claudio’s imports its private label balsamic from Modena, Italy.

Across the river at Blue Moon Premium Olive Oil and Vinegar in Collingswood, N.J., vinegars begin traditionally in Italy but make an interesting pitstop in California before bottling. “We offer flavored balsamic produced in Italy and imported in bulk to Veronica Foods in California where only natural flavors [like chocolate, black cherry, and cinnamon pear] are added before bottling and labeling for Blue Moon,” owner Bob Cascone said.

Of course, when you’re talking vinegar balsamic is widely regarded as the gold standard. Yet, now and then, I crave a simple salad of iceberg lettuce, cucumbers, and onions made with red wine vinegar, reminiscent of childhood meals on Tasker Street. And that’s the snowy-day-type-of-vinegar project I’m talking about here. Though even the simplest of recipes call for a “mother,” and I’m not referring to your mom. This “mother” refers to a fermentation starter that is much easier to buy than to make. You might find it at a gourmet or natural foods store or online at Amazon or Etsy.

Making mussels
For those less crafty or ambitious, Jerome Palumbo, a longtime cook at the locally famous Saloon restaurant, 750 S. Seventh St. in Philadelphia, shared an easy and quick recipe for making “mussels white” at home:

Ingredients

• Enough extra virgin olive oil to cover the bottom of your pan
• 1 ½ dozen closed-shell, fresh mussels cleaned
• Teaspoon of finely chopped garlicw
• 2 cups white wine
• ¼ stick of butter
• Red pepper flakes and salt to taste
• Nice handful of chopped fresh parsley

Directions

• Sauté chopped garlic in olive oil
• Add the mussels (clams can be substituted)
• Add the white wine
• Add butter
• Season with red pepper, salt and fresh parsley
• Cover and cook for about 5-8 minutes until all mussels are opened
• Serve with crusty Italian bread

There you have it. Wine problems solved!

Making vinegar
So, here you go – after some extensive online research and sifting through several cookbooks in my pantry, the simplest directions for making homemade vinegar I found is in a June 2023 issue of Wine Enthusiast by food writer Toni Dash:

“Combine the mother, 16 ounces of wine and 8 ounces of water in a sterilized glass or ceramic jar. Don’t use plastic, as the acid will react with it … Cover the jar with several layers of cheesecloth. Store it in a dark spot with good air circulation and a temperature between 70–80 °F.”

Dash provides additional tips like “feeding the mother” by adding more wine to the jar/s during the process and being careful not to move the jars around. After a few months of fermentation, the vinegar will be ready for transfer to clean bottles or jars for use at home or as gifts. Dash also offers a tutorial for more on vinegar making: https://boulderlocavore.com/make-it-yourself-homemade-vinegar/. 

Natalie Pantaleo is a marketing communications consultant, brand strategist, and consummate storyteller based in the greater Philadelphia area. In addition to being a published features writer, Natalie is the author of “Lying Down with Dogs,” a novella globally released by The Awakened Press in September 2022.