In general terms, vinegar is nothing more than the product of bacterial activity, that of the mycoderma aceti, or acetic bacteria, upon any type of hydro-alcoholic solution. In other words, vinegar can be obtained from any foodstuff which can be fermented to produce alcohol; there are vinegars made from apples, beet, potatoes, rice ... and of course wine vinegars.

Provided that it is in a low concentration, the ethyl alcohol found in wine or any other liquid is converted into acetic acid by acetic bacteria. To do this however, another key factor, oxygen, must also be present.

The French term, vin aigre or bitter wine, is the origin of the word vinegar. References to it however go back into the mists of time. Indeed, vinegar is mentioned in the Bible and we know that both the Greeks and Romans knew of vinegar and appreciated it as a condiment, a preserving agent, an ingredient in cosmetics and even, mixed with water, as a drink.

Probably, the primitive wine-producing techniques of antiquity meant that a large part of the wine consumed at that time was probably closer to "acetum" than "vinum". There is no doubt that for centuries the acetifiction of wine was not only frustrating for winegrowers but also a complete mystery. Indeed the hard-working bacteria mycoderma aceti, the cause of acetic fermentation, was only discovered in the 19th Century by the French scientist Pasteur.

A liquid is not technically regarded as a vinegar unless it contains at least 6% acetic acid. Logically, the greater the concentration of acetic acid, the more acidic the vinegar tastes. Moreover, vinegar frequently contains some vestiges of ethyl alcohol, especially in vinegar produced by traditional methods.