About Us
We are a husband/wife owned and operated business. We pride ourselves in our handcrafted, limited quantity vinegars which are produced in Nelson County, Virginia.
We used the traditional Orleans method of vinegar production which dates back to 1616 in France. This process takes approximately 2-3 months to convert the wine to vinegar with an additional 6 months for aging. Commercial vinegar manufacturers speed up the process of vinegar making. They use equipment such as bubble column reactors which circulate fermented liquid through large vats incorporating many tiny bubbles of oxygen. This process converts the liquid to vinegar in a matter of days. Production using the Orleans method creates a smooth, flavorful and colorful product. It is still the process of choice for making superior vinegar. Being lightly filtered there may be some sediment in our product (usually in reds) but it will not affect the quality of the vinegar.
Each vinegar brings with it the particular characteristic of the grapes from which the wine is made. This makes using it as an addition to food a real delight. We produce a variety of varietal wine vinegars and the types we produce depend on what types of wine we are able to source from local wineries during the year. Wine vinegars made up to this point by us include; Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Petit Mansang, Viognier, a nice blended red and a dessert wine vinegar. There are many extraordinary wineries in Virginia from which we source our raw materials. We must start with good wine in order to make high quality vinegar.
Any good vinegar is best treated like wine after opening. Limited exposure to oxygen is critical to the freshness of any vinegar. Do not refrigerate and we recommend that the vinegar should be used as quickly as possible (within 6-8 weeks) after opening.
Red wine vinegar is excellent for use in marinades (beef, pork, lamb), red pasta sauces, grilled steaks, deglazing, reducing and in vinaigrettes. White wine vinegar can be used for marinades (fish, chicken, seafood), poaching liquids, mayonnaise, hollandaise and in vinaigrettes.
We are sure you will enjoy our vinegars as much as we do.
Jay and Stephanie Rostow
434-953-6232