Sherry vinegar has become, in recent years, one of the most appreciated condiments of the Mediterranean diet due to its great taste, its properties and the enormous prestige of a Designation of Origin, the D.O. Vinagre de Jerez, which has crossed borders. Thus, JRSabater produces and bottles sherry vinegar, aged in oak casks using criaderas and soleras, which reaches countries all over the world; today we show you what sherry vinegar is, its characteristics, its production process and the types available on the market.
What is sherry vinegar?
Sherry vinegar is a Mediterranean condiment made from sherry wines by fermenting acetic bacteria in a hydroalcoholic solution. Thus, sherry vinegar is made from a wine characterised by a wide variety of nuances from the Jerez lands bathed by the Atlantic Ocean, where the grapes enjoy a unique microclimate with winds that endow the future sherry vinegar with extraordinary strength and flavour.
How is sherry vinegar made and bottled?
Sherry vinegar is made following the criaderas and soleras ageing system, which is similar to the way in which sherry wines are aged, giving them an indescribable flavour on the palate. The sherry vinegar placed in the lower part of a system of barrels in a row, known as soleras, is the oldest vinegar, which contains infinite mixtures from the first vinegars that were introduced into the barrel, managing to maintain the quality in a homogeneous way in each bottling.
As vinegar is removed from the soleras, the casks immediately above them feed vinegar to the lower scale, so that the uppermost criadera is renewed with new Sherry Vinegar, or Sherry wine. This unique system makes it possible to create a Sherry vinegar with many different flavours, aromas and nuances.
What types of sherry vinegars are there?
- Sherry vinegar: aged between six and two years, with an intense amber colour and mahogany tones. On the nose, Sherry vinegar offers hints of dried fruits and touches of the wood from the casks in which it is aged. Sherry vinegar is particularly suitable for reductions, sauces and marinades.
- Sherry vinegar Reserva: aged between two and ten years, it offers an intense mahogany colour and amber hints. Reserva sherry vinegar has a dry, acidic flavour with hints of vanilla, nuts and wood with hints of sherry, making it perfect for cold soups and dressings.
- Sherry Vinegar Gran Reserva: aged for more than 10 years, mahogany in colour and with intense flavour and acidity, it is round and balanced in the mouth with its notes of dried fruits and spices. Gran Reserva sherry vinegar is ideal for salmorejos, vegetables and Mediterranean salads.
- Sherry vinegar al Pedro Ximénez: Aged for at least six months, it is a dark mahogany-coloured vinegar with hints of sultanas, roasted coffee or liquorice. Pedro Ximénez sherry vinegar is the ideal vinegar for meats, salads and desserts.
- Sherry vinegar moscatel: Aged, like Pedro Ximénez sherry vinegar, for at least six months, it has an intense mahogany colour and a great smell of sultanas that give it an unparalleled sweetness and texture. Muscatel sherry vinegar is ideal for salads and dressings that combine fruit and citrus.
JRSABATER, a whole life dedicated to sherry vinegar
With more than fifty years dedicated to the bottling of wine vinegar, it was in 2004 when we unified our efforts to begin the production of vinegars with the Jerez Designation of Origin in the manufacturing and bottling plant in Jerez de la Frontera. Therefore, JRSABATER offers you the best of the Mediterranean diet with sherry vinegars made with the artisan care of a lifetime dedicated to improving the diet and health of our customers.
