where does vinegar come from?

Answer 1

basically, vinegar is wine that has fermented a little too long
Below is Wikipedia's long article about vinegar:

Vinegar is a sour-tasting liquid made from the oxidation of ethanol in wine, cider, beer, fermented fruit juice, or nearly any other liquid containing alcohol. It can also be made by certain bacteria operating on sugar-water solutions directly, without intermediary conversion to ethanol (see acetic acid). Commercially available vinegar usually has a pH of about 2.4.
The word Vinegar comes from the Old French vin aigre, meaning "sour wine."


Production
Vinegar production may be started by the addition of mother of vinegar to wine or cider. Vinegar is a dilute form of acetic acid, ranging typically from three to five percent by volume for table vinegar and higher concentrations for pickling. Natural vinegars also contain smaller amounts of tartaric acid, citric acid, and other acids. It has been used since ancient times, and is an important element in Western and European, Asian, and other traditional cuisines of the world. The oxidation is carried out by acetic acid bacteria, as was shown in 1864 by Louis Pasteur. Modern systems work with vinegar bacteria at the liquid and bring air into the vinegar with a venturi pump system or with a turbine. These systems have a production time between 38 hours and three days to get the ready vinegar.

Types of vinegar
White
So-called "white vinegar" (actually transparent, in appearance) can be made by oxidating a distilled alcohol. Alternatively, it may be nothing more than a solution of acetic acid in water. It is used for culinary as well as cleaning purposes.

Malt
Malt vinegar is made by malting barley, causing the starch in the grain to turn to maltose. An ale is then brewed from the maltose and allowed to turn into vinegar, which is then aged. A cheaper alternative, called "non-brewed condiment," is a solution of 4-8% acetic acid colored with caramel. There is also around 1-3% citric acid present.
Americans, Australians, Britons, and Canadians commonly use malt vinegar on fish and chips.

Wine
Wine vinegar is made from red or white wine, and is the most commonly used vinegar in Mediterranean countries, Germany, and other countries. As with wine, there is a considerable range in quality. Better quality wine vinegars are matured in wood for up to two years and exhibit a complex, mellow flavor. There are more expensive wine vinegars made from individual varieties of wine, such as Champagne vinegar and sherry vinegar.

Apple cider
Shaw's brand apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar, sometimes known simply as cider vinegar, is made from cider or apple must, and is often sold unfiltered, with a brownish-yellow color; it often contains mother of vinegar. It is currently very popular, partly due to its alleged beneficial health and beauty properties (see below). Some countries, like Canada, prohibit the selling of vinegar over a certain percentage acidity.
In terms of cooking, cider vinegar is not usually suitable for use in delicate sauces, but is excellent for use in chutneys and marinades. It is used to make vinegar pie and can also be used to pickle foods, but will darken light fruits and vegetables.

Fruit
Fruit vinegars are made from fruit wines without any additional flavouring. Common flavors of fruit vinegar include black currant, raspberry, and quince. Typically, the flavors of the original fruits remain tasteable in the final vinegar.
Most such vinegars are produced in Europe, where there is a growing market for high price vinegars made solely from specific fruits (as opposed to non-fruit vinegars which are infused with fruits or fruit flavors. Persimmon vinegar is popular in South Korea.

Balsamic
Balsamic vinegar is an aromatic, aged type of vinegar manufactured in Modena, Italy, from the concentrated juice, or must, of white grapes (typically of the Trebbiano variety). Its flavor is rich, sweet, and complex, with the finest grades being the end product of years of aging in a successive number of casks made of various types of wood (including oak, mulberry, chestnut, cherry, juniper, ash, and acacia). Originally an artisanal product available only to the Italian upper classes, balsamic vinegar became widely known and available around the world in the late 20th century.

Rice
The Japanese prefer a more delicate rice vinegar and use it for much the same purposes as Europeans, as well as for sushi rice, in which it is an essential ingredient. Rice vinegar is available in white, red, and black variants, the last of which is most popular in China (see Chinese black, below). Black rice vinegar may be used as a substitute for balsamic vinegar, though its dark color and the fact that it is aged may be the only similarity between the two products. Some types of rice vinegar are sweetened or otherwise seasoned.

Coconut
Coconut vinegar, made from the sap, or "toddy," of the coconut palm, is used extensively in Southeast Asian cuisine (particularly in the Philippines, a major producer of the product), as well as in some cuisines of India. A cloudy white liquid, it has a particularly sharp, acidic taste with a slightly yeasty note.

Cane
Cane vinegar, made from sugar cane juice, is most popular in the Philippines (where it is called sukang iloko), although it is also produced in France and the United States. It ranges from dark yellow to golden brown in color and has a mellow flavor, similar in some respects to rice vinegar, though with a somewhat "fresher" taste. Contrary to expectation, it is not sweeter than other vinegars, containing no residual sugar.

Raisin
Vinegar made from raisins is used in cuisines of the Middle East, and is produced in Turkey. It is cloudy and medium brown in color, with a mild flavor.

Beer
Vinegar made from beer is produced in Germany, Austria, and the Netherlands. Although its flavor depends on the particular type of beer from which it is made, it is often described as having a malty taste. That produced in Bavaria is a light golden color, with a very sharp and not overly complex flavor.

Honey
Vinegar made from honey is rare, though commercially available honey vinegars are produced in Italy and France.

Chinese black
Chinese black vinegar is an aged product made from rice, wheat, millet, or sorghum. It has an inky black color and a complex flavor.

Flavored vinegars
Popular fruit-flavored vinegars include those infused with whole raspberries, blueberries, or figs (or else from flavorings derived from these fruits). Some of the more exotic fruit-flavored vinegars include blood orange and pear.
Herb vinegars are flavored with herbs, most commonly Mediterranean herbs such as thyme or oregano. Such vinegars can be prepared at home by adding sprigs of fresh or dried herbs to store-bought vinegar; generally a light-colored, mild tasting vinegar such as that made from white wine is used for this purpose.
An East Asian variety of flavored vinegar known as sweetened vinegar is made from rice wine and herbs including ginger, cloves and other spices. It is an integral ingredient in the traditional Chinese postnatal health and celebratory dish of Pork Knuckles and Ginger Stew.

Answer 2

Vinegar is a sour-tasting liquid made from the oxidation of ethanol in wine, cider, beer, fermented fruit juice, or nearly any other liquid containing alcohol. It can also be made by certain bacteria operating on sugar-water solutions directly, without intermediary conversion to ethanol (see acetic acid). Commercially available vinegar usually has a pH of about 2.4.

The word Vinegar comes from the Old French vin aigre, meaning "sour wine."

Answer 3

It's made from grapes, beleive it or not. Wine, when it goes bad, often turns into vinegar.

Answer 4

Apple Cider Vinegar Truth : http://AppleCiderVinegar.siopu.com/?mWw

Answer 5

Google is your friend.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinegar

Answer 6

Left over wine at my mother-in-laws
Infused with herbs
Wonderful
but seriously,
I think it's from alcohol.

Answer 7

Fermented fruit, usually grapes but sometimes apples/apple cider as well.

Answer 8

i would like to know that as well.