Why Aged Sherry Vinegar is a Must Have Pantry Staple

Editor’s note: When we asked food writer and salad enthusiast Molly Watson about her favorite vinegar she did not hesitate. If an aged sherry vinegar isn’t one of your go-to vinegars, it likely will be once you’ve read her story about it.

“Sherry Vinegar and salad” by FoodMayhem.com is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Even with its many varieties, sherry is not for everyone. The same is less true of vinegar made from it, which, having been aged in oak barrels, mellows in a widely pleasing way. If I had to use one vinegar for the rest of my days (please, let this sentence not jinx me to such a fate), it would be aged sherry vinegar. Such vinegar is extremely versatile for one simple reason: its acid level.

Vinegar Acidity Levels

Aged sherry vinegar has a lower acid level than red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar, making it my go-to vinegar for many of my favorite salads.

Gazpacho by Sara Dubler on Unsplash

Something that is neither basic nor acid—like pure water—has a pH of 7. The lower the number, the more acidic. Lemon juice and distilled white vinegar are a 2-2.5, which is about as acidic as things we eat (makes sense since stomach acid is a 1). Cider vinegar, by contrast, is closer to a 3. Most other kinds of vinegar—including the sweet-tasting balsamic vinegar—have a pH that falls between 2 and 3.

Aged sherry vinegar tends to have a pH level closer to 4.

And while I love the bite of a tart dressing and regularly use all kinds of vinegar, aged sherry vinegar lets me get that bite of relatively high acidity without the same harshness other kinds of vinegar often bring to the party.

As we move towards tomato season, this becomes even more true. Because tomatoes, too, have a pH level that tends to hit around 4.

I first experienced the affinity of tomatoes and sherry vinegar in gazpacho, the blended cold soup (or drinkable salad) ubiquitous in Spain. I tried several disappointing recipes for it before turning to a friend who’d lived in Spain, who told me the one-two punch of a secret to making great gazpacho: add more olive oil than you think you should and sprinkle in a hit of aged sherry vinegar. In short, add a vinaigrette to the mix.

O California Aged Sherry Vinegar

Finding Aged Sherry Vinegar

You can spend a lot on aged sherry vinegar, but you don’t have to. To be labeled vinagre de Jerez in the U.S., sherry vinegar must be aged for six months in American oak barrels in the “triangle of Jerez” in the Spanish province of Cadìz. Vinegar from said triangle can be amazing—especially if you’re going to drizzle them on grilled vegetables or meat or otherwise use them as a finishing element or garnish—and bottles of it are worth seeking out. Yet know that O California Aged Sherry Vinegar tends to retail for less than $10 and is perfectly serviceable for bright, salad-making dressings.

A Year-Round Tomato and Vinegar Fix

I use aged sherry vinegar all year round. When tomatoes are in season, I use it for tomato-centric salads and endless rounds of gazpacho. Come winter, I keep the sherry vinegar-tomato dance going and make a dressing of 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1 tablespoon aged sherry vinegar, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. A bit sweet, a bit savory, and sheer perfection on bitter winter greens such as kale, escarole, radicchio, or frisée.