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Vinegar: the invisible essence of many sauces

Vinegar: the invisible essence of many sauces

Some ingredients go unnoticed, yet without them, nothing would taste quite the same. Vinegar is one of them. Discreet and essential, it’s the invisible foundation that brings balance, depth and character to countless recipes. In our kitchens, it’s almost always present — in salads, marinades, pickles, escabeches… and of course, in sauces. And its presence is no accident.

Common everyday sauces like ketchup, mayonnaise or salsa brava all share one thing in common: vinegar. This ingredient not only provides that characteristic tang, but also helps preserve, balance and deepen flavour, and contributes to a smoother texture.

Vinegar acts as a natural flavour enhancer, supports emulsification and improves food preservation, especially in homemade recipes. In fact, the most widely consumed sauces in Spain traditionally contain vinegar:

  • Salsa brava: often includes vinegar to intensify the heat and add acidity.
  • Ketchup: vinegar is essential to balance the sweetness of tomato and sugar.
  • Mayonnaise: the acid helps emulsify the egg and oil and stabilises the mixture.
  • Mustard: many versions include vinegar to enhance flavour and improve texture.

Other sauces, such as romesco (traditionally served with calçots in Catalonia), mojo picón from the Canary Islands, or cocktail sauce (widely used with seafood), also rely on vinegar.

Sauces of the World

This ability to bring coherence and harmony is universal. Wherever there’s a cuisine with identity, there’s vinegar. In China, it’s at the heart of sweet and sour sauce; in Japan, it elevates the flavour of ponzu; in Argentina, it energises chimichurri; and in the Philippines, vinegar is not just added — it’s the base of iconic dishes like adobo, both preserving and flavouring.In Eastern Europe, vinegar appears in tangy or spicy sauces that accompany smoked meats, as well as in traditional pickles and mustards. In France, vinaigrettes are a whole universe of their own, often made with wine, cider or champagne vinegar. In the UK, vinegar is a non-negotiable for fish & chips. And in India, it’s essential in spicy marinades and curries like vindaloo, reflecting the legacy of Portuguese cuisine.

Why do these sauces contain vinegar?

Vinegar plays several essential roles in sauces — each equally important:

It balances flavours
Its natural acidity cuts through fats, brings freshness and softens sweetness or intensity from ingredients like mustard, tomato or eggs. This ability to round out flavours is key for well-balanced sauces.

It preserves

Vinegar is a natural preservative. Long before refrigerators, our grandparents used vinegar for pickling and to extend shelf life. Even today, its role in preserving food — especially in artisanal or homemade sauces — remains vital.

It affects texture and colour

In some sauces, such as sweet-and-sour blends or emulsified types, the kind of vinegar used can subtly influence both texture and appearance. Choosing the right vinegar is as much a technical decision as it is a creative one.

Play, combine and create

Vinegar isn’t just an ingredient — it’s a gastronomic tool. It allows you to modulate intensity, add contrast or softness, and create dynamic flavour profiles between sweetness, saltiness and bitterness. The type of vinegar you choose can completely change the outcome of a dish.

For example, aged balsamic brings depth and woody notes, apple vinegar offers lightness and freshness, cava vinegar adds elegance and subtlety, and sweet-and-sour vinegars open up a world of surprising and layered flavours.

At Badia Vinagres, we’ve spent generations exploring this world of balance and aroma. We believe a good vinegar can transform a sauce — and, with it, an entire dish. Our natural vinegars, crafted with care, time and respect for the ingredient, are made so that chefs and food lovers alike can create sauces with their own unique personality.A Riesling sweet-and-sour vinaigrette can elevate a white fish. A Merlot sweet-and-sour salsa brava can pair beautifully with your favourite tacos. Roasted vegetables shine with apple and ginger vinegar, and a cheese sauce made with Port sweet-and-sour vinegar and wholegrain mustard combines intensity and elegance. Every vinegar is an opportunity to play, combine and create.

Because behind many sauces, there’s a story. And often, that story begins with vinegar.

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A Promising Harvest for Our Vinegars

A Promising Harvest for Our Vinegars

September is harvest time, a key moment that defines the quality of the raw material for everything we do: the grape. Because without good grapes there is no good wine. And without good wine there is no good vinegar.

After several difficult years marked by extreme drought, the 2025 campaign arrives with good news for the wine sector. According to data from INCAVI and the Catalan Association of Oenologists, in Catalonia and much of Spain growers have been able to harvest grapes in much better sanitary condition and with superior quality. This improvement in conditions is key to producing wines and therefore vinegars with personality, structure, and clean aromas.

Favorable climate conditions and higher yield

Autumn and spring rains and a moderate summer have favored the recovery of the vineyard. The production areas we usually work with at Badia Vinagres—such as the wineries in Penedès for white varieties and those in Tarragona and Lleida for red varieties—have approached this harvest with much more optimistic expectations.

Although there were some episodes of diseases such as mildew and hailstorms in certain areas, the first estimates point to a 10% increase in production compared to last year. But beyond quantity, what we truly celebrate is quality. This year the land gives us grapes with a good balance between acidity and alcohol content, an essential condition for obtaining top-level vinegars.

Quality grapes for excellent vinegars

At Badia Vinagres we work with carefully selected grapes and wines, made from local varieties that respect the environment. The quality of the grape not only affects the organoleptic profile of the vinegar but also its yield, stability, and, of course, its cost. That is why we closely monitor each campaign.

This 2025 harvest gives us the opportunity to continue innovating, to continue betting on natural vinegars with character, made with raw materials that meet our most demanding standards.

A future full of challenges and also of hope

Despite this respite, the wine sector continues to face major challenges such as climate uncertainty, the rising cost of grapes, and the urgent need to practice more sustainable viticulture. Cooperation between growers, wineries, and producers like us will be essential to ensure the continuity and excellence of a product that has been part of our culture since ancient times.

At Badia Vinagres we remain true to our commitment: to transform the best raw material into unique vinegars.

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Pear Gazpacho with Muscatel Vinegar

Pear Gazpacho with Muscatel Vinegar

:: Ingredients ::

  • 1 kg ripe tomatoes
  • 60 g green pepper
  • 80 g cucumber
  • 50 g sweet onion
  • 600 g ripe pear
  • 100 g celery
  • 100 g hazelnuts
  • 70 ml Gardeny muscatel vinegar
  • 150 ml water
  • 70 ml virgin olive oil
  • 1 or 2 garlic cloves (optional)
  • Salt
  • Hazelnuts for garnish

:: Preparation ::

  1. Wash and dice the tomatoes, celery and green pepper. Then clean, peel and chop the pear, cucumber and onion, and set everything aside.
  2. Peel the garlic and place all the chopped ingredients in a blender with the Gardeny muscatel vinegar, water, hazelnuts, salt, and olive oil. Blend everything until smooth. If desired, strain it.
  3. Chill the gazpacho in the fridge until serving time.
  4. Serve well chilled with a celery leaf, pear slices, and hazelnuts. You may drizzle with muscatel vinegar and olive oil to taste.

Did you enjoy this recipe? Keep discovering how to use our vinegars and sweet & sour condiments.

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Melon Gazpacho with Apple Vinegar

Melon Gazpacho with Apple Vinegar

:: Ingredients ::

  • 800 g ripe tomatoes
  • 60 g green peppeR
  • 120 g cucumber
  • 50 g onion
  • 800 g melon
  • 60 ml Gardeny apple vinegar
  • 100 ml water
  • 70 ml virgin olive oil
  • Fresh mint leaves
  • 1 or 2 garlic cloves (optional)
  • Salt

:: Preparation ::

  1. Wash and dice the tomatoes and green pepper. Then clean, peel, and cut the melon, cucumber, and onion, and set everything aside.
  2. Peel the garlic and place all the chopped ingredients in a blender with the apple vinegar, water, mint leaves, and olive oil. Blend everything. Add salt to taste, mix well, and chill in the fridge until ready to serve. You can strain it if desired.
  3. Serve with diced melon, cucumber slices, and fresh mint leaves. Add a drizzle of apple vinegar and olive oil to taste.

Did you enjoy this recipe? Keep discovering how to use our vinegars and sweet & sour condiments.

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Preserve Summer with Homemade Pickles

Preserve Summer with Homemade Pickles

Summer is a season of abundance: gardens come alive, colors explode, and nature offers its most generous harvests. It’s the perfect time to pick, but also to preserve—to capture a bit of summer to enjoy when the cold returns. And there’s no better way to do it than with homemade pickles.

This ancestral technique connects us with traditional cooking, with the wisdom of our grandmothers, with sustainability, and with the commitment to avoid waste. Preserving with vinegar is one of the simplest and healthiest ways to keep food. It allows us to make the most of our garden’s surplus and always have a tasty, nutritious, and versatile ingredient ready for salads, sandwiches, appetizers, or cheese boards.

Pickling Recipe

Here’s a very easy and quick recipe to make your own homemade pickles:

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups of water
  • 1 cup of Badia organic white wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons of salt
  • 1 tablespoon of sugar

Instructions:

  1. Combine all the ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil.
  2. Once it starts boiling, turn off the heat.
  3. Fill clean glass jars with the vegetables of your choice (cucumber, onion, beetroot, carrot, bell pepper… anything works!).
  4. Pour the hot mixture over the vegetables until fully covered and seal immediately.
  5. Let the jars cool at room temperature.

In just a few days, you’ll have delicious homemade pickles, full of flavor and nuance.

The perfect touch: Badia Organic White Wine Vinegar

For this recipe, we use our Badia organic white wine vinegar, one of the most iconic varieties of our traditional range. Its clean and smooth profile preserves the original color and flavor of the vegetables and provides the ideal level of acidity to preserve without overpowering.

Preserving summer has never been so easy… or so flavorful.
Will you give it a try?

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Our vinegars, internationally recognised

Our vinegars, internationally recognised

From time to time, it’s worth pausing for a moment and looking back. It’s important to take stock, to remember where we came from and realise how far we’ve come.

It all began with our father’s dream: to make good vinegars. Honest vinegars, full of character, crafted with care and respect for the product. Since then, many years have passed, with many trials, hard work… and many awards that have helped us grow.

Awards —big or small— are much more than medals. They’re an external validation of the effort, dedication and passion we pour into every bottle. We’re proud to see our team’s work recognised by international juries, especially in competitions that reward culinary excellence and, increasingly, highlight the world of vinegar.

Just a few years ago, when we first started entering contests, there were hardly any awards dedicated exclusively to vinegar. Our first accolades came from the Great Taste Awards, often referred to as the Oscars of gourmet food. And today, we’re thrilled to see the rise of specialised competitions like the Vinavin Awards, organised by the Asociación de Amigos y Profesionales del Vinagre, and the Global Vinegar Awards, which we look forward to joining very soon.

Here are some of the recognitions that have marked our journey in recent years. Each star and medal has been a boost to keep innovating and improving — without ever losing the essence that defines us:

2011. Vermouth Vinegar: Great Taste Awards (2 stars)
2015. Riesling Agrodolce: Vinavin  (Silver Medal)
2016. Port Agrodolce: Great Taste Awards (1 star)
2017. Merlot Agrodolce: Great Taste Awards (2 star)
2018.
 • Orange Blossom Honey Agrodolce: Great Taste Awards (2 stars)
 • Apple Vinegar: Great Taste Awards (3 stars)
2019. Balsamic Chardonnay Vinegar: Great Taste Awards (2 estrelles)
2023. Muscat Vinegar: Great Taste Awards (2 estrelles)

These awards move us deeply and, above all, reaffirm our belief that betting on quality, proximity, and innovation is —without a doubt— worthwhile.

We’ll continue to work with passion, so that behind every vinegar there’s a story worth sharing… and, why not, also worth rewarding.

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Gaspatxo de taronja amb vinagre de Vermut

Gaspatxo de taronja amb vinagre de Vermut

:: Ingredients ::

  • 1 kg ripe tomatoes
  • 60 g red pepper
  • 80 g cucumber
  • 50 g sweet onion
  • 65 ml Gardeny vermouth vinegar
  • 400 ml fresh orange juice
  • 60 ml water
  • 70 ml virgin olive oil
  • 1 or 2 garlic cloves (optional)
  • Salt
  • Ibarra chili peppers
  • Canned anchovies
  • Stuffed olives

:: Preparació ::

1. Wash and dice the tomatoes and red pepper. Then clean, peel, and chop the cucumber and sweet onion, and set everything aside. Peel the garlic.

2. Place all the chopped ingredients in a blender with the orange juice, vinegar, water, salt, and olive oil. Blend until smooth. If desired, strain the mixture. Be sure to chill it in the fridge until ready to serve.

3. To prepare the gildas, skewer olives, anchovies, and Ibarra peppers on a toothpick. Serve the gazpacho well chilled, accompanied by one gilda per person. You may add a drizzle of Gardeny vermouth vinegar and olive oil to taste.

Did you enjoy this recipe? Keep discovering how to use our vinegars and sweet & sour condiments.

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Gazpacho, the treasure of the Summer Garden

Gazpacho, the treasure of the Summer Garden

When we talk about summer, we talk about gazpacho. Few dishes combine tradition, simplicity, and the benefits of a natural, fresh, and balanced diet as perfectly as this one. Originally from the Mediterranean, gazpacho has become a staple in many homes and restaurants—especially when the heat kicks in and our bodies crave hydration, nutrients, and flavour.

To write this blog, we’ve had the collaboration of Dr. Antonieta Barahona, a medical doctor specialising in nutrition. Thanks to her expertise, we can confidently say that gazpacho is much more than a seasonal recipe: it’s a source of health, wellness, and culinary delight that connects us with the best of the garden and the Mediterranean kitchen.

Gazpacho is a cold soup—refreshing, healthy, and nutritious—made from basic ingredients like tomato, garlic, onion, pepper, cucumber, extra virgin olive oil and, of course, vinegar. Just add water and blend it all raw to obtain a smooth, flavourful preparation packed with health benefits.

The use of different ingredients and the choice of the right vinegar open up a wide range of flavour nuances that make each gazpacho a unique and creative version. Vinegar brings character and balance, and it can be the element that elevates a dish from good to outstanding.It’s essential to serve it chilled to take advantage of its refreshing and hydrating effects, along with its many nutritional benefits:

  • A natural source of vitamins C, A, and E
  • Contains essential minerals like potassium, sodium, and magnesium
  • High in fibre
  • Rich in antioxidants like lycopene

It’s a simple, homemade dish suitable for all ages, low in calories, high in nutrients, and incredibly hydrating—perfect to include in your summer diet.

And this is just the beginning! This June, at Badia Vinagres, we’re launching a very special series: four summer gazpachos with unique personalities, each made with a different variety of our vinegars. Every one of them has a distinct, surprising, and 100% delicious touch.

The first recipe… is coming soon! Stay tuned to our social media channels!

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Cherry Gazpacho with Rosé Cava Vinegar

Cherry Gazpacho with Rosé Cava Vinegar

:: Ingredients ::

  • 800 g ripe tomato
  • 60 g red pepper
  • 80 g cucumber
  • 50 g red onion
  • 65 ml Gardeny rosé cava vinegar
  • 800 g cherries
  • 60 g shelled pistachios
  • 150 ml water
  • 70 ml virgin olive oil
  • 1 or 2 garlic cloves (optional)
  • Salt

For the garnish:

  • Feta cheese
  • Cherries
  • Ground pistachios

:: Preparation ::

  1.  Wash and dice the ripe tomato and red pepper.
  2. Then clean, peel, and chop the cucumber and onion, and set everything aside.
  3. Next, wash and pit the cherries, and peel the garlic.
  4. Put all the chopped ingredients into a blender along with the pistachios, vinegar, water, and oil, and blend until smooth.
  5. Add salt to taste, mix well, and refrigerate until ready to serve. If you like, you can strain it.
  6. Serve it with diced feta cheese, cherries, and ground or crushed pistachios. You can also drizzle with Gardeny rosé cava vinegar and olive oil to taste.

Did you enjoy this recipe? Keep discovering how to use our vinegars and sweet & sour condiments.

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Sauce for vermouth time

Sauce for vermouth time

:: Ingredients ::

  • 10 ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 50 ml GARDENY vermouth vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • A pinch of salt

:: Preparació ::

  1. Place all the ingredients in a small saucepan and heat gently.
  2. Once it begins to boil, remove immediately from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.

An ideal sauce for vermouth time! Serve it with potato chips, cockles, olives, or grilled vegetables. A unique touch full of flavor!

Did you enjoy this recipe? Keep discovering how to use our vinegars and sweet & sour condiments.

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