Opened a 2005 Puligny-Montrachet last night and it tastes like a really nice white wine vinegar. Brightness, good acidity, not off in any way except that it tastes like vinegar.
Anyone make vinegar from wine? Any concerns or best practices?
I’ve made it although surely not an expert. I just googled for various instructions.
Sulfites can inhibit the bacteria from starting. Some sites recommend aerating the wine thoroughly (blender?) to introduce oxygen that will help clear the sulfites (makes oxidation products that combine with the sulfites). Others suggest a little hydrogen peroxide. It also helps to dilute the wine so that it’s around 8-10% abv, because the bacteria do better (and vinegar will be less tart).
Need to figure out how to start the process. Some wine or beer making supply shops carry vinegar mother (they are often making their own vinegar), it’s also available online. Other method is to use a raw vinegar, eg Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar with the Mother (this is what I did). Other people get it from a friend who is making vinegar.
Some sites recommend a process that requires some tending. Others say to just leave it alone for six to eight weeks. I did some tending although not convinced I was helping it.
May want to pasteurize when done, to prevent the acetobacter from breaking down the acetic acid making it smell like nail polish (ethyl acetate). It sometimes smells like this while fermenting but often corrects itself.
Red wine mother can look a bit gross, bit like raw liver. White wine mother looks fine, though. The one rose vinegar I made (actually a skin fermented Pinot Gris) had mother that looked the same as with white wine.
Hope it works out for you!
-Al
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A 2005 could be relatively low in sulfites already, depending on where it was at at bottling. It tends to lose a few ppm per year.
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I’ve used the Bragg method and just continue to add wine as I have it. No issues with the red and I use it for just about everything. I’ve had more problems with the white. But the white does make a nice substitute for cider vinegar for Carolina (Lexington) BBQ.
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Thanks everyone. Seems like a lot of work for a bottle of vinegar 
Actually, not hard at all. Put wine in a glass vessel, dilute to reduce alcohol content. Add mother. Cover top of vessel with cheese cloth. Leave alone. Once started, can add more wine as it becomes available without diluting.
When ready, pour off as much vinegar as needed into another bottle and dilute to desired strength. I usually filter through a coffee filter before bottling into serving bottles as it will through some sediment.
I have 2.5 gallons of red and a gallon of white currently. All from wine that otherwise would have gone to waste.