The “Spätlese” wine (late harvest) comes from the organic vinyard Michlits in Pamhagen (Burgenland).
After an ageing period we injected the wine with pure cultured vinegar bacteria. The vinegar fermentation takes place under strict control, whereby the temperature and oxygen supply are constantly watched to guarantee optimal living conditions for the bacteria. Hence, one of the conditions is given to accomplish a high quality. After the fermentation has ended the young vinegar gets stored in oak barrels, and the sediment gets removed several times before ageing in carboys and oak barrels respectively.
It is important to ferment only high-quality wine into vinegar to accomlish a superior quality. The later the grapes are harvested, the more substantial the vinegar will be. Moreover, we take care that no sulphur gets added to the wine, which could harm the sensitive vinegar bacteria or even destroy them so that the sour fermentation would get interrupted.
Wine vinegar exists since there is wine. In the antiquity one did not know how to preserve wine. The intoxicating effect of wine consumption was enjoyed strictly in fall. Gradually the wine fermented into vinegar and was drunk as a “sour wine”. When it finally had turned into vinegar, it was diluted with water and got served as a thirst quencher. Only when Louis Pasteur discovered the vinegar bacteria, the explanation was given why wine “broke”, becoming vinegar.
to marinate raw fish, meat, fruits, vegetables for several days - For sauces made of dark meat - To pickle fruits and vegetables - to refine goulash, bean and lentil casseroles - On leafy salads and vegetables such as carots, radish, tomato, etc., combined with extra virgin olive oil
7% acetic acid Regular wine vinegar, available at any corner store, has mainly 6% acidity. For us it also would be possible to dilute the natural obtained acetic acid to the legally required minimum 6% acidity. Yet, we also would dilute the vinegar’s extract as well as its body. We cannot accept this! Anyhow, with the continuance of ageing highly acetic vinegar, the vinegar becomes “softer”, which means that the acetic acid gets better tied in and the aromas become more dominant. Therefore, only a few drops of natural, undiluted vinegar is needed to have enough acidity and enough flavour!
