The vinegars of Jerez

JEREZ So it goes, they say: Xérès=Jerez=Sherry. And that's what we think about when we use the word Jerez, isn't it? Sweet, dry, whatever. But we think of sherry wine, not sherry vinegar. Head for the nearest supermarket's oil & vinegar shelves. Ah, here it is ... apple vinegar, wine vinegar ... sherry vinegar? Not likely, except at upmarket shops. As part of a new section on Spanish food, let us tell you a little more about these superb vinegars that are increasingly held in the greatest esteem by some of the world's top chefs.
What exactly is vinegar? To put it simply, it is the product of bacterial activity, that of the mycoderma aceti, or acetic bacteria, upon any type of hydro-alcoholic solution. In other words, vinegar can be obtained from ny food stuff that can be fermented to produce alcohol. Thus, there are vinegars made from apples, beet, potatoes, rice ... and of course, wine vinegars.

The word vinegar comes from the French vin aigre, or bitter wine. The history of bitter wine, or vinegar, goes back into the mists of time. There are biblical references to it and it is known that the Greeks and Romans appreciated it, using it as  ondiment, a preserving agent, an ingredient in cosmetics and even, mixed with water, as a drink.

In fact, it is likely that the  processes of wine-making in antiquity resulted in a drink that more closely resembled 'acetum' than 'vinum'. The way wine turned into vinegar was probably very frustrating to the ancient bodegeros of Hispania. And it would have been a complete mystery because the acetic bacteria was not dicovered until the 19th Century, by French scientist Louis Pasteur.

So, acetic bacteria is one the wine-maker's nightmares. Or one of his prized products, if he keeps it under control.

The people of the Jerez Region have been making wine since even before the Romans, although it was these who made the best of the Phoenician vines of the area. If they made wine, they also made vinegar, so the history of the Vinegars of Jerez is as old as the wines themselves.

Like the wines that come from the area known as the Marco de Jerez,  and protected by the Denominación de Origen Protegida labels, these vinegars are heirs to the care and quality of their sources, the wines that are generally known as sherries in the English-speaking world. Their intense aroma and balanced flavour allow for multiple applications – as many as there are variations. Depending on their ageing process, which follows the traditional criadera and solera barrel system used for sherry, and are essential to their uniqueness and extraordinary concentration; thus, there are vinegars called Jerez Reserva or Gran Reserva, and degrees of sweetness that originate in the wines of Pedro Ximénez and muscatel, to name a couple.

So what is all this about Denominación de Origen Protegida (DOM)? It's the same as is used for wines, hams, sausages, cheeses, and so on. However, this is the first time the label, and the brand protection it implies, to a vinegar in Spain. To carry this label, there are many very strict requirements in all the stages of production, the final result of which must have certain spcific organoleptic qualities.

To start with, the grapes from which it is produced can only be those vines that are used in the production of wines within two DOMs: 'Jerez-Xérès-Sherry' and 'Manzanilla Sanlúcar de Barrameda'. These comprise eight municiplities in the province of Cádiz, and one in Sevilla.

The area of production for the vinegars are exactly the same as those for the wines from which they come. And so are the areas in which they are aged. The Regulating Council for the DOM is also the same as for the sherries.

Once the initial process of fermentation is over, the Vinegars of Jerez must be aged in barrels, of oak or chestnut wood, with a capacity below 1000 litres. They will also follow the traditional criadera and solera barrel system, or one called añadas, a word that comes from añadir, which means 'to add'.

In the criadera and solera system, the extraction, or saca, is carried out in stages in each of the botas, or barrels. The complex system involves precise scales of values such as sweetness, acidity, and so on. The idea is to give each type of vinegar, or brand, its unique personality. The añadas system requires that the vinegars remain static in their barrels. The añadas system requires that the vinegars remain static in their barrels.

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. In the past the vinegar was given away to staff and family of the owner or sold at the bodega door. Some barrels were stored separately and often forgotten about. These vinegars, many over 50 years old, are now being re-discovered and appreciated.

The last part of the ageing and blending process is called cabeceo. This is when the different vinegars are blended in combination with others of the same or similar ageing process.

The Jerez Vinegar Denomination of Origin Regulations specify two different types of cellars: Vinegar Production Cellars, and Vinegar Production and Ageing Cellars. The former can be located anywhere in the region as described above, while the latter are the only ones where vinegar can be aged and dispatched, and must be located in Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa María or Sanlucar de Barrameda.

The age categories are as follows:

• Vinagre de Jerez has a minimum of 6 months ageing in wood.
• Vinagre de Jerez Reserva has a minimum of 2 years ageing in wood.
• Vinagre de Jerez Gran Reserva is a new category with a minimum of 10 years aging in wood.