Page 138 - The Secrets Of Vinegar

Reims Vinegar
Reims vinegar is produced from sediment left over after the second fermentation of Champagne. Between 1 1⁄3 and 2 tbsp of sediment is removed from each bottle and placed in aerated tanks to be turned into vinegar. The end product contains 7% acetic acid and has a clear
amber color, a delicate aroma, and a light, woody flavor. Red and white wine vinegars have existed in Champagne for centuries.
Orleans Vinegar
Orleans vinegar is traditionally made in oak barrels,
where wine is introduced to a mother of vinegar
culture that has been left in the barrel for one or two
generations. The wine is left to ferment anywhere from
a few weeks to six months. The resulting vinegar is drawn
off, filtered, and bottled. When vinegar is drawn from the casks, about 15% of the vinegar is left in the casks to blend with the next batch, and new wine is added, creating a cycle. The finished unpasteurized vinegar retains a deep aroma and color. Mother of vinegar can sometimes reform in the bottle and can simply be left there, filtered, or even used to start a new bottle of vinegar. Martin-Pouret, a family-run company founded in 1797, is the only vinegar maker to continue to produce vinegar following the Orleans tradition.
138