strong enough to prevent the vinegar solution itself from spoiling Above 5% alcohol, the resulting vinegar will be stronger in acetic acid and so more stable, but the fermentation proceeds more slowly because the high alcohol levels inhibit the activity of the bacteria For this reason, and to minimize residual alcohol in the finished vinegar, wines of 10–12% alcohol are usually diluted with water before acetic fermentation However this also dilutes the wine’s flavorful components; so patient vinegar makers may still choose to ferment their wine straight Vinegar Production There are three standard ways of producing vinegar in the West The Orléans Process The simplest, oldest, and slowest method was perfected in the Middle Ages in the French city of Orléans, where spoiled barrels of Bordeaux and Burgundy wine on their way to Paris were identified and salvaged as vinegar In the Orléans process, wood barrels are partly filled with diluted wine, inoculated with a mother from a previous batch, and allowed to ferment Periodically, some vinegar is drawn off and replaced by new wine This method is slow, because the transformation of alcohol to acetic acid is limited to the wine surface exposed to the air But the slow fermentation leaves time for reactions among the alcohol, acetic acid, and other molecules, and produces the finest flavor When optimized, this process can yield a barrel full of vinegar in two months Streamlined Trickling and Submerged Cultures In the second, “trickling” method, the wine is poured repeatedly over a porous, air-rich matrix — wood shavings, or a synthetic material — onto which the acetic ... limited to the wine surface exposed to the air But the slow fermentation leaves time for reactions among the alcohol, acetic acid, and other molecules, and produces the finest flavor When optimized,... batch, and allowed to ferment Periodically, some vinegar is drawn off and replaced by new wine This method is slow, because the transformation of alcohol to acetic acid is limited to the wine... barrels of Bordeaux and Burgundy wine on their way to Paris were identified and salvaged as vinegar In the Orléans process, wood barrels are partly filled with diluted wine, inoculated with a mother