5 Sherry Vinegar Substitutes

There’s no doubt about how perfect the flavor of sherry vinegar is in most, if not all, French and Spanish dishes.

The taste of the vinegar is the ideal combination of red wine and white wine vinegar. It’s also soft and not as harsh as red wine vinegar. However, it’s less sweet than balsamic vinegar.

The flavor of sherry vinegar can be described as being bitter and acidic but with nutty and sweet caramel notes. Hence, sherry vinegar is perfect when you add it to fresh salads, soups, casseroles, marinara sauces or bean curries.

Due to its unique taste and because authentic sherry vinegar comes from Spain, finding it at stores can be reasonably tricky.

Sherry vinegar is also pricier than other kinds of vinegar as well. Therefore, if you need to find a substitute that you can use instead of sherry vinegar, here’s a list of other kinds of vinegar you can consider using to give your dish a similar taste.

Substitute	Flavor Comparison	Suggested Ratio
Rice Wine Vinegar	Closest in acidity and flavor	Same quantity as sherry vinegar
Apple Cider Vinegar	More complex and acidic	1:1 with sherry vinegar, adjust to taste
White Wine Vinegar	Milder taste	Mix half tsp sherry wine with 1 tbsp white wine vinegar; use 1:1 ratio
Balsamic Vinegar	Milder acidity, sweeter	Same amount as sherry vinegar, add more to taste
Sherry Wine	Sweeter, less acidic	Same ratio as sherry vinegar, consider flavor difference

1. Rice wine vinegar

This is the closest to sherry vinegar in terms of acidity and flavor profile, which is why it’s considered the best sherry vinegar replacement. 

Rice wine vinegar also has low acidity and a sweet taste, similar to that of sherry vinegar. 

If you plan to use rice wine vinegar in place of sherry vinegar in your dish, we recommend using the same quantity mentioned in the recipe.

• Closest in acidity and flavor profile to sherry vinegar.
• Suggested Ratio: Use the same quantity as sherry vinegar.

2. Apple cider vinegar

This type of vinegar is made by fermenting apples with water and ethanol. Though apple cider vinegar has a more complex, acidic flavor than sherry vinegar, you can use this as a substitute since it is widely available. Add small amounts of apple cider vinegar to your dish gradually and keep tasting it as you go until you’ve reached the desired flavor. The recommended ratio when using apple cider vinegar in place of sherry vinegar is 1:1.

• More complex and acidic flavor than sherry vinegar.
• Suggested Ratio: 1:1 with sherry vinegar, adjust to taste.

3. White wine vinegar

This vinegar has a much milder taste than sherry vinegar, and its flavor profile is slightly different. However, it can be used as a sherry vinegar replacement, especially if you make European dishes, such as stews and salads. To get the best out of the white wine vinegar, mix half a teaspoon of sherry wine to a whole tablespoon of white wine vinegar. This will give it a flavor close to the distinct taste of sherry vinegar. You can substitute using a 1:1 ratio in any dish that uses sherry vinegar.

• Milder taste than sherry vinegar.
• Suggested Ratio: Mix half a teaspoon of sherry wine to a tablespoon of white wine vinegar; use a 1:1 ratio as a substitute.

4. Balsamic vinegar

Though balsamic vinegar has mild acidity and a sweeter flavor than sherry vinegar, it can still replace some dishes. Since balsamic vinegar is much easier to find in stores, it’s a pretty standard vinegar used instead of sherry vinegar.

It’s recommended that you use the same amount of balsamic vinegar as sherry vinegar in the recipe, but keep gradually adding more if you have not reached your dish’s desired flavor.

• Milder acidity and sweeter flavor than sherry vinegar.
• Suggested Ratio: Use the same amount as sherry vinegar, adding more to reach the desired flavor.

5. Sherry wine

Since sherry vinegar is made from sherry wine itself, it can work as an excellent replacement for the vinegar. However, sherry wine is much sweeter than and not as acidic as sherry vinegar, so it’s only a suitable substitute in specific dishes. Suppose you only have sherry wine in your pantry, you can consider using this in the same ratio as sherry vinegar, but be mindful that no amount of extra wine will help you achieve the acidic taste brought on by other kinds of vinegar.

• Sweeter and less acidic than sherry vinegar.
• Suggested Ratio: Use the same ratio as sherry vinegar, but note the flavor difference.

The bottom line

Because of its versatility, you can use any vinegar at home and mix it with sherry wine to create a sherry vinegar replacement. Add about half a teaspoon of vinegar to a tablespoon of sherry wine.

Remember to gradually add this mixture to your dish and keep tasting it until you have achieved your dish’s desired flavor.

Now that you know what to replace sherry wine with, what are you planning to cook next? Let me know in the comments section!