Sherry Vinegar Vs Sherry Cooking Wine

Realized you're all out of vinegar while you're cooking? Here's the best sherry vinegar substitute to use in recipes.

Making a recipe that calls for sherry vinegar and don't have it? Sherry vinegar is a Spanish vinegar made from fermenting sherry wine, then straining and bottling it. It has a roundness in flavor with less acidity than red or white wine vinegar, and subtle caramel notes. This makes it a fantastic all purpose vinegar for vinaigrettes, marinades, and more. Don't have time to shop for it? Here are some substitute ideas.

Best sherry vinegar substitute

1. Rice vinegar (not seasoned)

The best sherry vinegar substitute? Rice vinegar! This type of vinegar is made from fermented rice and used in Asian-style cuisine. While it's not Spanish, the rounder and subtly sweeter flavor is closer to sherry vinegar than standard white and red vinegar. One note: make sure not to use seasoned rice vinegar! It's seasoned with sugar and salt and used for seasoning sushi rice and Asian style salads.

2. Champagne vinegar

If you have it, champagne vinegar also could work as a substitute! It's made by fermenting champagne. It is very mild in flavor, so it's not near the intensity of sherry vinegar.

3. Red wine or white wine vinegar

Another substitute for sherry vinegar? Red wine or white wine vinegar! But note that these two are both much stronger than sherry vinegar. White wine vinegar is a little better of a substitute than red wine, which is the strongest and most acidic. Use either as a 1:1 substitute.

4. Lemon juice (in a pinch)

Don't have any vinegars on hand? You can use lemon juice as a substitute in a pinch. Lemon juice is also acidic and tangy like sherry vinegar. Of course, it tastes like lemon and not vinegar! Lemon juice can work for salad dressings, but you may need to add a little more lemon juice to equate the zing of the sherry vinegar (do so to taste).

Here are some recipes where you could use this sherry vinegar substitute: