Add a tiny portion to a wine glass, swirl it around, and taste it. Or finally, dip a sugar cube into a bowl with a tiny portion of vinegar, and suck the vinegar out of the sugar cube. Whichever method you choose, you're getting an idea of the basic flavor of the vinegar, so you'll know what additional flavorings will complement it. Generally, there's vinegar base that's best suited to a type of flavored vinegar. Here's the breakdown.
Cider vinegars complement spices .
Wine vinegars also complement spices, although they more commonly are paired with herbs such as sage, rosemary, marjoram, and oregano for red wine vinegar, and chives, sage, oregano, and savory for white wine vinegar. Distilled vinegar is a good match with fruits like cherries and raspberries, and edible flowers like nasturtiums.