Cook bacon in a large skillet. Remove cooked bacon and sautee onions, celery, and carrots in the bacon grease. Add diced potatoes and clam juice--but not the clams. They need to be added last to avoid getting tough. Add a bay leaf and a little more water to cover the veggies. Simmer until tender.
In a large saucepan, make a roux with butter and flour. Whisk it until there are no lumps and let it boil down for a few minutes. Add the cream and stir until it's smooth. Add all the spices. Then add in all the veggies which have cooked to be tender. Heat it through but don't boil.
Stir in the clams and red wine vinegar. Heat it for a couple minutes and then serve.
Recipe by Honeybear Lane at https://www.honeybearlane.com/2015/07/new-england-clam-chowder.html