With a high acid concentration, this deep-colored sherry vinegar gets its color from the same grapes used to make sherry wine in Jerez, Spain. Sherry vinegar from this region has a long history and is sought after because it is tightly controlled by both Spanish and EU law. It has a dryer, less syrupy taste than balsamic vinegar, and can be aged anywhere from 6 months to 75 years. The older the bottle, the more intense its flavor.
Used in small quantities, this vinegar is used to flavor gazpacho, soups, stews, marinates, and salad dressings. It is even used to add flavor to meat and poultry and even pasta and roast vegetables—and all you need is a splash! We recommend trying it as a salad dressing base with a bit of walnut oil to enhance its oaky flavors.
While next to any food or drink that ferments alcohol can be used as a base for vinegar, sherry vinegar comes exclusively from sherry wine. Not just any sherry wine. Only the noble wine grapes from Jerez in the south of Spain can be used to make sherry vinegar. This part of the country received bright sunshine almost the whole year round and receives winds from the eastern Atlantic, creating a microclimate that is both cool and humid—perfect for growing sherry grapes!
Sherry vinegar should be stored in a cool, dry, dark cupboard, away from the heat and light. Choose a spot in the kitchen that’s away from the oven. The best temperature for storing vinegar is from 13 to 21°C.