Also known as

Sherry Triangle, Xeres Vinegar.

Description

Sherry vinegar is a gourmet wine vinegar made from Sherry. Both sherry (the wine) and the vinegar have been produced in southern Spain since well before the 16th century.To be called vinagre de Jerez, by law the Sherry vinegar must undergo ageing in American oak for a minimum of six months, can only be aged within the "sherry triangle" and must have a minimum of 7 degrees acidity. The style of sherry vinegar depends mainly on the grape variety used to produce the wine it is made. Most sherry vinegar is produced from wines which were made from the Palomino grape. The wine being used to produce the vinegar can be young wine or can be a wine which has already. Small amounts of sherry vinegar are produced from the Moscatel. Barrels containing vinegar are always quickly removed from the wine bodega, this is to prevent other barrels of wine also turning to vinegar. Any barrels which have contained vinegar cannot usually be used to store wine again due to the risk of acetic fermentation. Vinaigrettes made from sherry vinegar is particularly flavourful and matches well with many foods.

How to select

There are several basic types of sherry vinegar, along with sweetened varieties that have everything from sugar to ginger, orange peel and/or cloves added for extra flavour. They are readily available in grocery stores across US and Europe, especially France. The best sherry vinegars have a deep, complex flavour. Similar to Balsamic you'll find sherry vinegars with different aging including 30 year, 50 year and sometimes up to 75 years.).

Culinary uses

" Sherry vinegar can be used not just with salads, but also with steamed asparagus or globe artichoke for example.
" Sherry vinegar enhance the flavours in soups, stews, sauces, casseroles and dressings
" Use Sherry Vinegar to make the perfect gazpacho or salmorejo.
" As with fine balsamics the older high quality vinegars are sometimes used as an apertif or "digestive" (after meal)
" Use sherry vinegar with salads, in sauces or other dishes

How to store

The shelf life of vinegar is almost indefinite. Because of its acid nature, vinegar is self-preserving and does not need refrigeration. Sherry Vinegar is best stored airtight in a cool, dark place.

Health benefits

" Small amounts of sherry vinegar (approximately 20 ml or two tablespoons of domestic vinegar) added to food, or taken along with a meal, have been shown by a number of medical trials to reduce the glycemic index of carbohydrate food for people with and without diabetes.
" Aged sherry vinegar is known to improve digestion, liver functions, increase good cholesterol and even prevent osteoporosis.