Herring in wine is a traditional European food. Almost every American supermarket carries several brands of herring pickled in wine. It is also easy to make from scratch at home.

Herring in wine is traditionally made from salted or brined herring. Either dry salted or brined herring should be soaked overnight to remove excess salt; changing the water or soaking in a milk-and-water mix speeds up the process. After the excess salt has been removed, the herring should be marinated in a half-and-half mix of white wine and vinegar.

Herring in wine is traditionally seasoned with sliced onion and pickling spices. However, variations using mustard, sour cream and pepper corns are also popular. The flavors used in the wine sauce will affect the amount of seasoning used to create each variation, and each batch must be adjusted to taste. A few suggestions are equal parts of sour cream and wine, one part mustard to two parts wine, or one teaspoon of cracked black pepper to a half-cup of wine.

Serving herring in wine can range from the simple to the gourmet. Herring on toast with a bit of onion is a simple yet elegant treatment. You can try it with sour cream and wine, sprinkled with fresh dill, wrapped around capers or stuffed in peppers as well.