Liquid Gold: Inside Bodegas Páez Morilla's Century-Old Sherry Vinegar
Published by ONIMA Pantry on
Vinagre de Jerez, or sherry vinegar, wasn’t always glorified. In 1910, Don Francisco Páez Sánchez saw an opportunity for the otherwise overlooked vinegar. Where most people saw spoiled sherry, Don Francisco saw liquid gold. Thirty-five years later, his son, Antonio Páez Lobato, would establish Bodegas Páez Morilla.
From Sherry to Vinegar: A Unique Process
Today, the bodegas of Páez Morilla have evolved beyond a humble winery. Their largest export is seasoned casks to the whiskey market. Instead of discarding the “spent” sherry to produce more matured barrels, Páez Morilla continues to fill virgin casks with the same liquid. Over the years, the carefully monitored sherry begins to develop acetic acid, signaling its transformation into vinegar.
Solera System: Crafting Complexity Over Decades
Different rooms at Bodegas Páez Morilla house various classes of vinegar destined for different aging periods. Some barrels have been restored and in use since the early 20th century. Thanks to the solera process, immense complexity develops over decades, with vinegars that are over 100 years old resting in the oldest casks.
The solera system is a fractional blending process used primarily in winemaking and aging fortified wines, like sherry, Madeira, and certain brandies. It ensures consistency in flavor by mixing wine (or vinegar) from different stages of aging, allowing gradual development and consistent quality over time.
Bodegas Páez Morilla’s Cooperage: Crafting the Perfect Barrel
Bodegas Páez Morilla is not just a winery or vinegar producer; they also operate a cooperage, just five minutes from the aging houses. Here, a team of more than 50 skilled workers transform raw oak planks into barrels. Milling, steaming, toasting, sanding, and hammering are part of the intricate process of creating these essential casks.
Our Partnership: A Legacy of Quality
We are fortunate to work with Bodegas Páez Morilla as our sole supplier of sherry vinegar. The vinegar, now overseen by Esperanza Ramirez Páez, is of the highest quality available. You can taste their exceptional 7º vinegar in many of our products, most notably in IL MIG.
