Chardonnay wine vinegar is salt and vinegar for people who think regular salt and vinegar is too pedestrian. It’s the same basic concept with a wine-soaked rebrand, promising sophistication through grape-derived acid.
Does it taste different? Surprisingly, yes.
The vinegar here is rounder than malt vinegar, less aggressive and more complex. There’s a fruitiness underneath the sourness that standard salt and vinegar doesn’t possess. It’s still vinegar, still sour, but differently sour.
The sour intensity
These are less face-scrunching than aggressive malt vinegar crisps. The chardonnay vinegar has smoothed the edges, creating a more approachable sour experience. If you find regular salt and vinegar too harsh, these might convert you.
If you love that harsh vinegar assault, you might find these too gentle.
Premium texture
The hand cooked base is sturdy enough to handle the acidic seasoning without going soft. The crunch survives, which is essential for salt and vinegar crisps. Soggy sour crisps are deeply unpleasant.
The sophistication factor
Can you taste the chardonnay specifically? Almost certainly not. But you can taste that something is different, that this isn’t just standard vinegar with a fancy name.
Whether that justifies the premium price depends on how seriously you take your crisp vinegar.
Worth trying
For salt and vinegar fans curious about the premium end of the flavour, these are worth experiencing.
