How to make vincotto | Recipe | Food & Style (2024)

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How to make vincotto | Recipe | Food & Style (1)

What is vincotto?

Vincotto (also known as vin cotto) is a “cooked wine” made from unfermented grape must, slow-simmered until thick and syrupy. This flavorful condiment has been crafted in Italy and Greece (where it’s known as Petimezi, or “grape molasses”) since Roman times. Vincotto is wonderfully versatile and can be used as you would use a sweet, dense aged balsamic vinegar – spooned into savory dishes, drizzled on fresh cheese or fruits, poured over gelatos or used as a coulis…

Vincotto is fun and easy to make!

Of course, you can always buy vincotto, but I think it’s much more fun (and creative!) to make it in your own kitchen. All you need is a bottle of fruity red wine, a few spices and a little patience.

In this version, I reduce red wine with fresh ginger and spices. The result is a tangy, aromatic and succulent syrup that’s suitable for either savory or sweet dishes.

So here’s to vincotto… You’ll find that its uses are endless!

Recipe

Wilted radicchio with vincotto

Vincotto with fresh ginger and spices

How to make vincotto | Recipe | Food & Style (2)

makes 3/4 cup
active time: 10 min

  1. 3 cups fruity red wine (Merlot, Zinfandel, Sangiovese or Cabernet Sauvignon)
  2. 3/4 cup organic sugar
  3. 2″ piece fresh ginger root – cut in 1/4″ pieces
  4. 1 cinnamon stick
  5. 1 teaspoon cardamom pods
  6. 2 cloves
  1. Place all the ingredients in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 30 minutes until the wine has thickened and foams up. The wine should have a syrupy consistency, and should have reduced to one fourth of its original volume, about 3/4 cup. Strain through a fine-meshed sieve and let cool to room temperature. Transfer to a squeeze bottle or jar and refrigerate until ready to use.
  2. Cook’s note: Refrigerate for up to 3 months.

How to make vincotto | Recipe | Food & Style (3)

condiment, red wine, cooked

17 Comments

  1. How to make vincotto | Recipe | Food & Style (4)

    Maria McLaren

    September 14, 2020 at 4:20 pm ·Reply

    Made this recipe with a nice bottle of wine that when I opened found the cork had dried and crumbled- and just wasn’t perfect for drinking- hating to waste the wine, I strained it and followed the recipe- which actually turned out wonderful! But yesterday as my family was making our yearly homemade wine, I reserved a bottle of the musto- which is currently simmering with the spices on my stove top. The aroma throughout my house is heavenly! Can’t wait to taste it!

  2. How to make vincotto | Recipe | Food & Style (5)

    My mother. Made these Christian, she called them Rosetties. The dough was cut into strips with a ravioli cutter and formed into rose like. The wine syrup was make from the sediment of the barrel of homemade wine . The Rosetties were dunked in the wine syrup and stored in enamel pots until Christmas. Bella

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  5. How to make vincotto | Recipe | Food & Style (6)

    Leon

    July 16, 2019 at 8:26 am ·Reply

    A great recipe for vincotto the addition of ginger is an interesting twist

  6. How to make vincotto | Recipe | Food & Style (7)

    Kim Quinn

    October 7, 2018 at 4:26 pm ·Reply

    I just watched an episode Pasta Grannies on youtube. Episode titled Pasta Grannies discover a wine harvest sweet pasta from Basilicatta. They explained the importance of vin cotto/vincotto. It was wonderful! Thank you for giving me direction’s of how to recreate this ingredient in my home. My friends are going to be SO happy!💜

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  8. How to make vincotto | Recipe | Food & Style (8)

    Richard

    September 5, 2017 at 8:45 am ·Reply

    Just used your recipe as the main ingredient in a marinade for a scotch fillet roast and then as a drizzle serving sauce. Heaven on a stick !!!

    • How to make vincotto | Recipe | Food & Style (9)

      Viviane Bauquet Farre

      September 25, 2017 at 7:11 pm ·Reply

      Oh, my! That does sound quite delicious! Thank you so much for your note!

  9. How to make vincotto | Recipe | Food & Style (10)

    Michele Glemser

    March 6, 2017 at 12:15 am ·Reply

    I would like to use some local honey in place of sugar. I know it will alter the taste somewhat. Have you ever tried using honey?
    My sweetheart is from So. Italy and he said as a child, they used to dip their Romaine lettuce in Vincotto and it was delicious!
    Would love to make some for him…but don’t want to go through the bother with cooking must…quite a tedious process.
    All of your recipes look fabulous.
    I just put up a batch of homemade Limoncello (Meyer lemons) all I have to do is wait!!!😉

    • How to make vincotto | Recipe | Food & Style (11)

      Viviane Bauquet Farre

      March 10, 2017 at 1:36 am ·Reply

      Hi Michelle, Thank you so much for your kind words, for your lovely comment and for your stories. Lettuce dipped in Vincotto sounds quite delicious! As for using honey, I have never tried that and I’m not sure how honey would do with such a reduction. Perhaps the best way would be for you to try the recipe both ways: one with sugar and one with honey and compare them both? I have a batch of Limoncello going as well… Life is good, no? Enjoy making your Vincotto!

  10. How to make vincotto | Recipe | Food & Style (12)

    Mazza Barry

    June 10, 2016 at 11:42 pm ·Reply

    Does homemade Vincotto get better with age.?

    • How to make vincotto | Recipe | Food & Style (13)

      Viviane Bauquet Farre

      June 13, 2016 at 11:12 pm ·Reply

      No it doesn’t, since it is a reduction. But it has heaps of flavor to begin with, so no loss there!

  11. How to make vincotto | Recipe | Food & Style (14)

    mjskit

    November 24, 2014 at 2:55 am ·Reply

    I had no idea what vincotta was and have certainly not had it. However, since I absolutely love a reduced balsamic, you can be guaranteed that I would love this reduction! Can’t wait to try it! Would something like a fruity Zinfandel work?

    • How to make vincotto | Recipe | Food & Style (15)

      Marian

      January 8, 2015 at 1:44 am ·Reply

      Have been looking for a recipe for the wine sauce my grandmother drizzled over Carteddate, a Christmas cookie treat she made every year. She made her vincotto using fresh grapes after my grandfather made wine, but I want to try your recipe to see if it will do the trick. Will this sauce thicken up and does it have to be heated when I drizzle over the cookies? Thank you.

      • How to make vincotto | Recipe | Food & Style (16)

        Viviane Bauquet Farre

        January 9, 2015 at 1:39 am ·Reply

        Hi Marian, I can only imagine how delicious your grandmother’s vincotto must have been – I’m salivating at the thought! This vincotto will be quite thick when it cools. I would say as thick as honey. So it might be helpful for you to warm it slightly before you drizzle it on your cookies. Do let me know how it turns out… and have fun making your vincotto!

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FAQs

What is a substitute for vincotto? ›

If you don't have vincotto or vino cotto, you can substitute 1 tbsp honey and 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar. If you don't have fresh thyme, use 1/2 the amount of dried herbs.

Is vincotto the same as balsamic vinegar? ›

Although it may be used as a basis to make sweet vinegar, vincotto has a pleasant flavor and is not a type of vinegar. This additional product is called "vinegar of vincotto", "vincotto vinegar", or "vincotto balsamic" and can be used in the same way as a good mellow balsamic vinegar.

Does vino cotto go off? ›

Due to the cooking, the wine is very stable and keeps well in heat and open containers.

What can I substitute for mosto cotto? ›

Nowadays most recipes that originally called for mosto cotto suggest grape jelly as a replacement. Grape jelly does not really have the same taste as mosto cotto, but it's the closest that is readily available. Ironically, in this day and age, sugar is relatively cheap, but store-bought mosto cotto costs a fortune.

What is the ingredient Vincotto? ›

Vincotto, meaning "cooked wine" in Italian, is a luscious condiment made from reduced grape must. It boasts a sweet, complex flavour with subtle hints of caramel and raisin. Elevate your dishes with the sweet and tangy nuances that vincotto brings.

Is Vincotto like balsamic glaze? ›

Vincotto, literally “cooked wine,” is really something unique. If you ask any Italian chef what Vincotto is, they will answer that it is an elixir, a sweet and velvety concoction similar to balsamic vinegar with the subtle overtones of spices, grapes and plums.

What is Vincotto in english? ›

Vincotto (meaning cooked wine) is a velvety vinegar made by cooking and reducing the grape must from two distinct grape varietals, Malvasia and Negroamaro, for a period of fifteen hours. It is then aged for four years in oak barrels, allowing the taste and consistency to develop.

What is the shelf life of Vincotto? ›

Rich, dark Fig Vincotto with an intense fig flavour and aroma, uniquely sweet and savoury. Store in the pantry or fridge once opened. Use within 6 months once opened.

Is there alcohol in Vincotto? ›

Use Vincotto as a condiment, drizzling sparsely over game, roasted meats, salads, aged cheeses, and certain desserts. This is a natural product without any alcohol, colorants, or preservatives.

Where can I buy vino cotto online? ›

Maggie Beer's Vino Cotto | Buy Online | Sous Chef UK.

What does vincotto taste like? ›

Aged in oak barrels for up to four years, our Vincotto has a velvety body and a deep, sweet flavor, with subtle overtones of spices, grapes and prunes. Vincotto is a versatile condiment; just a few drops add great character to roasted meats and fish, salads and desserts.

Is vincotto the same as Saba? ›

Saba is also known as Vincotto & Mosto cotto but they are the same, a condiment made from reduced grape “must”. This must is quite basically “young wine” or juice. The fruit, seeds, skins and stalks are all crushed together, in just the same way as wine begins it's production.

Which fruit is used to make traditional Italian staple vincotto? ›

Vincotto is described as a rich, thick, sweet and fruity liquid. Traditionally it is made by slow cooking and reducing non-fermented grape must until it has been reduced to approximately 20% of its original volume. Grape must is freshly crushed non-fermented grapes that includes the skins, seeds and stems of the fruit.

What is mosto cotto in english? ›

The Mosto Cotto or Cooked grape Must is an ancient product that everyone knows, maybe with other names: “Sapa” in Sardinia, “Vin Cotto” in the center, and in the south of Italy. It is actually the cooked must that is used to create, in the provinces of Modena and Reggio Emilia the Traditional Balsamic Vinegar P.D.O.

What can I use as a substitute for verjuice? ›

Because they are both made from grapes, the best substitute for verjuice is white wine vinegar. This can be used as 1:1 substitute for verjuice. Lemon juice is another good substitute for verjuice, just reduce the quantity by half when substituting as lemon juice has a stronger flavour.

Is vino cotto the same as red wine vinegar? ›

Vino Cotto is traditionally an Italian 'cooked wine', made from the must of grapes, slow-cooked over low heat for a long time. Red wine vinegar is added to the cook to highlight the delicious sweet/sour flavour and the resulting Vino Cotto is the perfect way to further maximise the flavour of your meals.

What is the difference between Vincotto and Saba? ›

Saba, called "vincotto", can also be obtained from figs which, gathered withered directly from the tree and mixed to ripe ones, are blanched until the liquid is amber. The whole is put in large cloths with a medium texture and pressed in order to obtain the liquid which is further thickened over a slow fire.

Is Saba the same as Vincotto? ›

Saba is also known as Vincotto & Mosto cotto but they are the same, a condiment made from reduced grape “must”. This must is quite basically “young wine” or juice. The fruit, seeds, skins and stalks are all crushed together, in just the same way as wine begins it's production.

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