The Perfect Italian Red Wine Vinaigrette Recipe

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This perfect Italian red wine vinaigrette recipe is so easy to make that there is no need to even consider store-bought dressing. With just a few simple vinaigrette ingredients, this dressing will surely become a staple in your kitchen!

This simple vinaigrette has so much flavor and will make any of your fresh salads exceptional! 

EASY PEASY TIP #1: Use a small mason jar to make and store your dressing. There is no need for bowls and whisks.

ITALIAN RED WINE VINAIGRETTE RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

RED WINE VINEGAR

There is nothing like using a good red wine vinegar in your Italian dressings. You can use your favorite, but we like using a good, high quality organic red wine vinegar.

You can also use white wine vinegar as well for a different variation and different flavor profile.

FRESH GARLIC

Fresh minced garlic in this recipe really gives a beautiful depth of flavor.

Use fresh minced and not jarred! There is a big difference in the taste. You could use some garlic powder if you need to, but fresh cloves are always best. 

ITALIAN SEASONING

We always have dry Italian seasoning on hand. The herbs used can vary, but typically, they will contain at least oregano, basil, rosemary, thyme, parsley and sometimes sage and others. 

DIJON MUSTARD

Besides giving your dressing a wonderful flavor, Dijon mustard will help to emulsify your salad dressing so it doesn’t separate too quickly. As you may know, water and oil don’t mix and don’t like to stay together!

SALT

We like to use coarse kosher salt, but you can use any that you have on hand.

BLACK PEPPER

Freshly cracked pepper is best! But you can use pre-ground pepper as well.

HONEY (optional)

This is optional, but it adds a touch of sweetness to round out the vinegar, and it’s good for you! 

GRATED ROMANO or PARMESAN CHEESE (optional)

Depending on your taste preferences, you can add either romano cheese or parmesan cheese. This is optional, but if you want to add a little richness to this homemade Italian dressing, this is the ticket!

EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

You can use your favorite extra virgin olive oil in this recipe. Our favorite higher quality olive oil is from California Olive Ranch. Use the best olive oil that you can find because it makes a difference!

EASY PEASY TIP #2: Simply store your dressing at room temperature on your kitchen counter for up to 3 days, or for up to 1 week in the refrigerator. 

KITCHEN TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT

MASON JAR WITH LID

We love using mason jars to make homemade dressings. No need for bowls and whisks! All you need is a glass jar and this tight-fitting lid (link to Amazon) that is leakproof, and creates an airtight container for better storage. 

Just make sure that you buy the right size lids for your jar. These lids are more leakproof than standard jar lids.

MEASURING SPOONS

​Except for the olive oil and garlic, you can measure all the other ingredients with measuring spoons. These measuring spoons are great because they’re narrow and easily fit through your herb and spice jars!

MEASURING CUPS

You’ll need a Pyrex measuring cup to measure out your olive oil. No kitchen should be without one.

HOW TO MAKE THE PERFECT ITALIAN RED WINE VINAIGRETTE

Into a small mason jar, add two cloves of minced garlic, 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning, 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper.

At this point, if you’d like, you can also add 1 tablespoon of honey. The honey adds a beautiful touch of sweetness and balances out the vinegar and garlic.

Place your mason jar lid on tightly and give your jar a good shake for about 10 seconds to blend everything together.

Lastly, remove the lid to the jar and add 1/3 cup of extra-virgin olive oil. Place the lid back on and shake for 10 seconds and you’re done!

HOW TO STORE YOUR ITALIAN RED WINE VINAIGRETTE

Store your homemade vinaigrette at room temperature right on your kitchen counter for up to 3 days. Make sure to place a tight-fitting lid on.

If you’ve added any Romano or Parmesan cheese to your dressing, or if you want to keep it a little longer, you can store your dressing in the refrigerator for a week. 

Keep in mind that extra virgin olive oil will solidify in the refrigerator (if doesn’t, you know it’s not real, and there are many fake olive oils out there!)

For a refrigerated dressing, take your jar out of the fridge about an hour before you plan on using it so it liquifies again. If you still see chunks of solidified olive oil, simply place your jar in a bowl of warm water and it should melt rather quickly. 

Give your dressing a good shake before you toss it with your salad. 

We are confident that this will become one of your favorite dressings, just like it has become one of ours! Dress up your favorite salad, side salad, pasta salad, or leafy green salad with this versatile dressing. 

Making your own dressing from scratch is so simple and quick to make, and you can be sure that it contains no junk, preservatives, or artificial ingredients.

Once you’ve tried this simple salad dressing, be sure to let us know in the comments of this post! This is such a tasty dressing that you will never go back to buy bottled grocery store Italian salad dressing ever again. 

For other yummy dressings, check out our citrus champagne vinaigrette and our honey white balsamic vinaigrette recipes.