Gegenbauer Apple Balsamic Vinegar "James" 250ml

James Grieve apples are harvested at the peak of their ripeness on the Harmer Estate in Stripfing (ca. 25 km north-east of Vienna). They are then sorted out, carefully pressed and delivered to the Wiener Essig Brauerei.

After the juice is simmered at a considerable temperature for several days, the flavours and the fruit sugar become concentrated. The juice is then filled into barrels and brought to an alcoholic fermentation. When the desired alcohol level has been reached, we air the derived wine and inject it with pure cultured vinegar bacteria (= mother-of-vinegar). After the fermentation process, the young vinegar will mature in oak barrels. We leave the barrels to the weather, so that the vinegar can “work” with the seasons. During wintertime, a kind of hibernation takes place, and in summer, due to hot temperatures, liquid can evaporate through the wood’s pores, whereby the volume decreases from year to year, lasting at least five years in this case, and, in the end, condensing the product.

Unlike the classic Aceto Balsamico, this balsamic vinegar does not mature in different types of wood. We take the view, that one fruit or one wine, respectively, should mature in only one type of wood. Where different types of grapes are used for the Aceto Balsamico, different types of wood should likewise be applied. What is unique about JAMES GRIEVE is its fine acidity, “full-body”, and a high aroma content in the fruit. We call it “playful.

Ingredients:
Apple balsamic vinegar, 5% acid