A few years ago with the help of some local grape grower friends, who share our passion for traditional and authentic foods, we ventured out to make vinegar in the centuries-old Orleans Method, first perfected in France. Most vinegar today is produced by a system that takes just hours, but removes most of the taste and the nutrients. In contrast, authentic vinegar is converted slowly over many months and gently from quality wines with the starter (called the "mother") in oak barrels. This is the way we do it in our Suisun Valley Vinegar House, and the result is a startlingly rich elixir with fine balance and subtle complexity. Our vinegars are used everyday in some of the best restaurant kitchens in America.

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AgroDolce in Italian means "sweet and sour." Here, we marry our own wildflower honey, gathered from the Sierra foothills, with Viognier wine that is crafted from grapes left on the vine to enhance their sweetness and deep spicy, floral qualities. They then are blended together in oak barrels and slowly fermented into finished vinegar.

The Viognier grape is native to the Rhone region of France. Known for its soft fruity and floral characteristics, it has "transplanted" well to the limestone and clay soils of the North Coast growing region of California. The taste profile of "peach" and "apricot" is a perfect marriage for sweet, floral notes of honey.

Never heated or pasteurized, and only lightly filtered, the flavors can best be expressed as the "honey is dancing on top of the vinegar." With hints of honeysuckle, vanilla and apricot balancing out the pleasant acidity, it is a natural partner with food.

USES IN THE KITCHEN:

• Makes a flavorful marinade for poultry with mustard, fresh herbs and olive oil (see recipe page)
• Anything pork...make a vinaigrette for seared pork tenderloin with fennel and rosemary
• Balances out the earthiness of legumes such as lentils and chickpeas
• Use in place of traditional malt vinegar for fish and chips
• Make a "splash" in the pan with seared scallops and tuna
• Toss root vegetables in the vinegar and roast in the oven
• Brush on fresh salmon and grill with a bit of dill
• Use the balanced sweet and sour component to complement many of your culinary creations. Be inspired!

Please Note: Any sediment that may settle on the bottom of your bottle is a sign of the natural, handcrafted process in which the vinegar was made and can be simply filtered through a strainer, if you like, and poured back into the bottle.

Later down the road as we created those ingredients, our mission became simple: to produce genuine and authentic foods with integrity and in a traditional manner that nurtures the soul and satisfies the palate.