If you can't find all the spices you can use different ones to achieve a similar effect.

Here is a close up of the way the spices should look. You can also crack the allspice berries. If you don't have them a shake or two of ground allspice is better than nothing.

Bring the vinegar, wine and water to a simmer and add the onions and spices. turn off the heat and let it steep.

I marinated the raisins in brandy. I like the milder flavor of golden raisins. You can use either type. In different areas of Germany they use dried cranberries or dried cherries instead. You can also bring them to a simmer in the brandy and hasten the process.

Freshen the roast of any juice that is on it with a dry towel.

Let the marinade cool. You can hasten this by putting a bag of ice in the marinade.

Place the meat in the bag and then carefully ladle the marinade into the bag. Close the top and press all the air out.

This will force the marinade to come up over the meat. you can use a straw in an opening just big enough while sealing and suck the remaining air out.
Let the meat stand 3- 7 days in the fridge making sure it is completely submerged in marinade, otherwise turn the roast daily.

In the old days in summer 3 days and in the winter 7 or 8 days. If you have a really tough piece or meat the vinegar will tenderize it.

Remove the meat and put it on a towel to dry it off.

Chop the vegetables into 1 inch slices and chunks.

To aid in browning the meat add some flour and powdered sugar. The sugar helps caramelize and makes the gravy a nice brown color.

Add some oil in a thick walled Dutch oven or cooking pot heat to medium heat and brown the roast on both sides.

Remove the roast to a plate.

Add the vegetables to the pot and and cook for a few minutes to soften then add the paprika and tomato paste to aid in a nice color gravy, and continue cooking for a minute.

Add the roast, onions and pour in half of the marinade.
I pour in spices and all.

Simmer the meat for 1 to 1/2 hour. Check for tenderness. You can tell if you lift the meat with a fork and it falls off that it is very close. If you cook it too long it will fall apart like shredded beef when you cut it.

When the meat is pretty close to tender add the rest of the marinade.The spices in this fresh poured marinade will not cook out many of the special flavors. Cook at least 15 min to release some of these flavors.

When the roast reads about 190 or 195 degrees F that is a good time to take it out.

You can strain this if you want but all those good vegetables and spices will give a lot of flavor to the
gravy.

I puree the sauce in a blender for quite a while to really get the spices to blend in well.

I add the Braune Lebkuchen to the blender then to give
flavor and thicken the sauce

Now I add the soaked raisins to the sauce and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper or beef bouillon if the gravy needs it. if it is not sweet enough to balance the sour flavor you can add some sugar. In the Rhineland they add beet sugar syrup called Zuckerreubensirup.

Slice the roast in 1/2 inch slices. and top with sauce.
Serve Rheinischer Sauerbraten with Kartoffelknödel or Semmelknödel and Rotkohl (sweet and sour braised cabbage), ApfelKompott (chunky applesauce) and ligonberries are also a good accompaniment to build the sweet and sour flavors.