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This homemade red wine vinaigrette is made from 6 easy ingredients, including olive oil, red wine vinegar, and herbs. Use it as a zesty dressing for salads and sandwiches. You’ll never buy it from the store again!
I use this red vinaigrette as a sandwich dressing in my Italian subs. It’s so quick and versatile that I thought it deserved a post of its own.
Table of Contents
Before you go out and buy your next bottle of salad dressing, check your pantry first! Nothing beats the freshness and flavor of homemade red wine vinaigrette brimming with quality olive oil, zesty red wine vinegar, and a combination of fresh and dried herbs. Vinaigrettes are some of the easiest salad dressings to make at home, and chances are good you have the ingredients on hand already.
Why I Love This Homemade Red Wine Vinaigrette
- Quick. I love turning simple pantry ingredients into the best homemade salad dressings. Just add your ingredients to a jar and shake! Red wine vinaigrette takes minutes to make, and it’s ready to serve right away or store in the fridge.
- Fresh flavors. Even my favorite store-bought dressing doesn’t hold a candle to this zesty homemade vinaigrette. The flavors of fresh onion, garlic, and parmesan are hard to beat.
- Versatile. This vinaigrette dressing keeps in the fridge for weeks, ready to use on everything from a tossed salad to lightened-up pasta salads and sandwiches. I even love to use it in place of bread dipping oil with garlic breadsticks!
Ingredients You’ll Need
The French “formula” for basic vinaigrette calls for 1 part vinegar for every 3 parts oil. I prefer my red wine vinaigrette on the zestier side, so I go up to half and half. It’s up to you. I cover the ingredients you’ll need below, and you’ll find the printable list with amounts in the recipe card.
- Olive Oil – Olive oil has the best flavor for salad dressings. Avocado oil is a close second.
- Red Wine Vinegar – Our star ingredient. The better the quality of the oil and vinegar you use, the better your dressing will be! A great thing about this vinaigrette recipe is that you can easily swap red wine vinegar for another kind, like white wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or apple cider vinegar (for an apple cider vinaigrette instead).
- Red Onion – I like to grate the onion so that it’s super fine, but you could also finely dice it. If you don’t have red onion, sweet Vidalia onion will also work.
- Parmesan – Freshly grated parmesan or pecorino cheese is best, but you can use pre-grated parmesan if that’s what you have.
- Garlic – Freshly minced, or you can grate the garlic like you did the onion. For more depth of flavor, roast the garlic before you mince it.
- Oregano – I season the dressing with dried oregano in addition to salt and pepper.
How to Make Red Wine Vinaigrette
Making homemade red wine vinaigrette is an easy, two-step process:
- Combine. Add your oil, vinegar, grated onion, parmesan cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper to a glass jar.
- Shake. Seal the lid tightly and give it a good shake to emulsify the vinaigrette. That’s it!
Alternatively, you can vigorously whisk the dressing in a bowl. Your vinaigrette is ready to use right away, or you can store it in the fridge. See the section further on for storage instructions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Vinaigrettes are thinner and lighter than creamy dressings like ranch. That being said, you can thicken this red wine vinaigrette by adding a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, or plain yogurt for a creamier version. See my creamy balsamic dressing recipe.
The main reason why dressing tastes bitter is because of old ingredients. If your olive oil or vinegar is past its expiration date, it could be oxidized, which gives it a bitter flavor. You can try to fix a bitter vinaigrette by adding a little honey or sugar, but I recommend using fresh ingredients for the best possible flavor.
Ways to Use Red Vinaigrette
Red wine vinaigrette isn’t just for salad! The more I make this recipe, the more I find new ways to use it. Try these ideas:
- Green salad. This easy red wine vinaigrette is delicious on just about any salad, but I especially love it on my antipasto salad and grinder salad recipes. The tanginess of the dressing offsets the richness of deli meats like salami, ham, and pepperoni perfectly.
- Other salads. It’s also a great way to brighten up a Mediterranean pasta salad or orzo pasta salad, or I’ll use it as a light dressing for a roasted potato salad or quinoa salad.
- Sandwiches. Add a zesty flavor to pinwheel sandwiches or a turkey club by brushing the dressing over the bread.
- Appetizers. Use this vinaigrette to marinate the tomatoes for bruschetta. Or, serve it with a side of garlic bread for dipping.
How Long Does It Last?
Stored airtight, this homemade red wine vinaigrette lasts in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
More Homemade Salad Dressings
Red Wine Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon red onion, grated
- 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Add the oil, vinegar, grated onion, Parmesan, garlic, oregano salt, & pepper to a jar.¼ cup olive oil, ¼ cup red wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon red onion, 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese, 2 teaspoons garlic, ¼ teaspoon salt, ⅛ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Secure with a lid and shake vigorously.
- Add additional salt & pepper to taste, if needed.
Notes
- I use this vinaigrette for my Italian subs. It’s delicious on salads, sandwiches, etc.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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