Rice wine vinegar

[HCT]

Is it just me or are others having a hard time finding rice wine vinegar? A few years back the supermarkets always had it on the shelves. Now it's impossible to find up here in Connecticut. It seems that now that the tv chefs are all using it none of the large super-stores aren't carrying it. Dang chefs ruin everything. >:(

[Artmiester]

Hey "H",
Any local oriental grocery should have rice wine vinegar, right next to the rice cooking wine and sherry. Most of the grocery chains here in FL carry it in the oriental ethnic section as well. Hope this helps... ;D ;D

[Payson]

Yeah, I can find it in my bare bones Asian section at my really sub-par grocery store. Great stuff.

[iceman]

Even Safeway has it up here in Alaska. Saw some in the Quick Stop Tesoro store the other day too.
Seems odd HCT that they don't have it down in your parts. ??? Bummer.
I can always mail a bottle or two down to you if need be.

[3rensho]

My local Asialaden has it here in Switzerland in .5,  1 and 5 liter containers.  No shortage.  Great stuff.

Tom

[Habanero Smoker]

HCT;

Rice wine vinegar and rice vinegar are the same thing by a different name. Scroll down this site until you get to rice vinegar:
http://www.foodsubs.com/Vinegars.html

Just make sure you do not use seasoned rice vinegars such as most of the Nakano Rice Vinegars. They generally have sugars, salts and other seasonings added.

For a substitute you can use:
Substitutes:  apple cider vinegar (also add a pinch of sugar if you like) OR white wine vinegar OR 3 parts white vinegar + 1 part water

[HCT]

Thanks folks. Yeah I searched every part of the markets, asian section, indian, russian, organics, etc. and all I came up with is rice vinegar.
Habs
I was reading on a couple of sites that rice wine and rice are different vinegars. Glad you posted this cause rice vinegars are plentiful. Here is one of the conflicting reports from Ochef.

"Rice vinegars are made from fermented rice. Rice wine vinegars are generally made from the lees (dregs) of wine. Both and widely used in Asian cooking. Both, especially those from Japan, tend to be mild and sweet, and add a bit of acidity to dressings and in cooking. The Chinese red and black varieties are also used as condiments, but still are characterized as mild vinegars. There are also Korean varieties, some of which are much stronger."

But I will add alot of sites agree that they are basicly the same. Too damn confusing when the cooking world can't agree. :D :D :D