Pedro Ximenez Sherry Vinegar

Today I received my bottle of Pedro Ximenez sherry vinegar. A very special sherry vinegar.

Sherry vinegar or Vinagre de Jerez is a gourmet wine vinegar made from Sherry and is produced in the province of Cadiz in Spain. Cadiz is situated within the so called “sherry triangle”. The “sherry triangle” is the area between the city of Jerez de la Frontera and the towns of Sanlucar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa Maria. Most sherry vinegar .

By law a sherry vinegar that wishes to have the title of “vinagre de Jerez” must be aged for a minimum of six months in American Oak, have a minimum of 7 degrees acidity and be within the “sherry triangle”.

Sherry vinegars are like wines they mature with age and are graded by the maturity of the vinegar. Vinegre de Jerez the standard bottle has matured for a minimum of six months in wood. Vinegre de Jerez Reserva has a minimum of 2 years aging in wood. The Vinegre de Jerez Gran Reserva has matured for a minimum of 10 years in wood. The Consejo Regulador (the Sherry vinegar regulator) is monitored and controlled by its own Denominacion de Origen which is protected by Spanish and EU law.

Well let me explain why the special Pedro Ximenez sherry vinegar is so special. This sherry vinegar is made only in Jerez in Spain and only in the barrels that harboured the sherry many years ago. Pedro Ximenez is made from Pedro Ximenez grapes, where as most sherry vinegar are produced from the Palomino grape. The pedro ximenez grape are sweeter than the other grapes and therefor produce a sweeter vinegar.

On opening the bottle the initial aromas come forth in abundance. Fruity, sweet smell, with a hint of acidity. The taste, smooth and slightly sweet without the harsh tartness that often hits with most vinegars. The comparison between two sherry vinegars that we have at work was vast. The cheap and (nasty) one at $4- has that harsh acidic taste that sends your face into the most strange appearance. The $28- Pedro with the smooth sutle bite leaves a sweet twang in the mouth. Now we have experienced the power of Pedro Ximenez there can be no going back.

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