2019-08-01 Eat Well

A vinegar tale

Lí rah, a boutique offshoot of leading

vinegar producer Australian Vinegar,

operates from a state -of-the-art, purpose-

built factory in Stanthorpe, Queensland. Its

founder, CEO and principal vinegar maker,

Ian Henderson, is a winem aker turned

vinegar maker.

“I didn’t find vinegar, vinegar found me,”

Ian says. “I was approached by a friend

in the USA that was starting a company

to import artisan food into the US. I

bought a book on how to make vinegar

online, repurposed some old winemaking

equipment and invested about $20 in capital

to buy a new bucket, hose and funnel. I used

the 40-year-old vinegar barrel my father-

in-law had as a vinegar culture or ‘mother’

and I began,” he reveals.

It’s a true labour of love for Ian. “I’m

a passionate believer that good product

comes from good ingredients. We never

use ‘bad wine’, we can’t. Our other secret to

success is that we are vinegar specialists;

it’s all we do. We pour 100 per cent of our

energy into one speciality and reap 100 per

cent perfection in what we do,” he explains.

Ian’s heart is in the artisan place.

“While I love winning business awards

and receiving accolades, it’s the personal

stories and recipes I receive from

customers at markets and shows, and how

they use my vinegar, that I love the most,”

he says. His secret to the perfect vinegar

is a philosophy that’s relatable to any craft.

“It’s really pretty simple. Know your craft,

use good ingredients and focus on your

field,” Ian shares.

Making vinegar

If you’re going down the DIY route with

vinegar, there are a few important things

to keep in mind, namely the quality of

the ingredients and the mix of flavours.

“The most important thing is high-quality

ingredients and the flavours have to be in

balance,” Greg advises.

Ian says making vinegar is a two-stage,

all-natural fermentation, which begins with

the yeast eating the sugar to make alcohol.

“That means yeast eats apple juice, a sugar,

to make cider. Or grape juice to make wine,”

he explains. “Step two is where a bacteria

called aceto bacter eats the alcohol and

converts it to acetic acid — thus completing

the fermentation of sugar to alcohol to wine,

meaning apples to cider to cider vinegar.”

“The cool thing about vinegar is that it is

a continual culture; when the alcohol is

almost all consumed, we remove some of

the vinegar and top up the ferment with

fresh cider or wine,” Ian explains. “The

‘mother’ is not actually the sediment in the

bottle that people think. It’s the term for

the barrel, or tank, that the fermentation

is taking place in. The fermentation cycle

can be as long as 10 years in the barrel, but

typically 12 to 24 months. It can even be as

short as 24 hours in modern fermentation

equipment. Regardless of the time or the

vessel, it’s still a two-stage fermentation

with yeast and bacteria. It’s all natural,

and all good for you.”

Health benefi ts

With digestive health all the hype, you’ll

be pleased to know that vinegar is a gut-

friendly food. The acetic acid in vinegar,

which is a by-product of the fermentation

process of the alcohol and bacteria, is what

makes this ingredient especially nourishing.

“All vinegar is good for you,” explains

Ian. “The benefits are in the acetic acid, not

the sediment or ‘mother’ as many believe.

The acetic acid converts to acetate in your

stomach, which triggers a whole series of

positive digestive reactions in your body.”

These positive reactions include increasing

the body’s absorption of minerals from food,

controlling blood sugar levels and reducing

cholesterol, to name a few.

Staying sustainable

Sustainability is vital for many artisan

vinegar makers, including the team at

Grampians Olive Co. “As a family business,

sustainability is vital for us. If we are not

operating sustainably then we are taking

from the next generation,” explains Greg,

whose 28,000-tree grove is one of the

oldest in Australia. It was established in

1943 and covers 500 hectares, with the

whole grove certified organic with NASA A.

“This means we work with nature rather

than against it,” Greg continues, adding

that they don’t spray any pesticides or

herbicides and that the trees on the grove

are fertilised with compost and sheep

manure. “Our grove is also dryla nd,

meaning the trees are solely reliant on

natural rainfall — no irrigation.”

Australian Vinegar is also no stranger

to sustainability. “I don’t think any

businesses these days can operate

without understanding the core essence of

sustainability,” says Greg. “Sustainability

goes beyond our commitment to the

environment, our active programs to

reduce water consumption, to reduce our

waste and our commitment to improved

efficiency. Our R&D program last year

accounted for 15 per cent of our total

turnover, and a majority of that activity

was directed to projects in reusing food

production by-products to make vinegar.

It’s an incredibly innovative and passionate

workplace,” he shares.

Ally McManus, the former editor of

WellBeing, is a freelance writer and editor in

magazine and book publishing. When she isn’t

working on copy or interviewing talent, she

is teaching and practising yoga on Victoria’s

Bellarine Peninsula.

Gluten-free vinegar

If you have celiac disease, it’s best

for you to consume wine vinegar,

apple-cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar

and rice vinegar, as these are gluten-

free options. But if you’re not overly

sensitive, distilled white vinegar has

less than the gluten threshold and may

be able to be tolerated. Malt vinegar, on

the other hand, contains gluten from

barley and should be avoided.

“The ‘mother’ is not actually

the sediment in the bottle

that people think. It’s the

term for the barrel, or tank,

that the fermentation is

taking place in.”

EatWell | 111

EWL026_110-111 Artisan Alley Vinegar-PR.indd 111EWL026_110-111 Artisan Alley Vinegar-PR.indd 111 1/08/2019 12:08:02 PM1/08/2019 12:08:02 PM

A vinegar tale
Lí rah, a boutique offshoot of leading
vinegar producer Australian Vinegar,
operates from a state -of-the-art, purpose-
built factory in Stanthorpe, Queensland. Its
founder, CEO and principal vinegar maker,
Ian Henderson, is a winem aker turned
vinegar maker.
“I didn’t find vinegar, vinegar found me,”
Ian says. “I was approached by a friend
in the USA that was starting a company
to import artisan food into the US. I
bought a book on how to make vinegar
online, repurposed some old winemaking
equipment and invested about $20 in capital
to buy a new bucket, hose and funnel. I used
the 40-year-old vinegar barrel my father-
in-law had as a vinegar culture or ‘mother’
and I began,” he reveals.
It’s a true labour of love for Ian. “I’m
a passionate believer that good product
comes from good ingredients. We never
use ‘bad wine’, we can’t. Our other secret to
success is that we are vinegar specialists;
it’s all we do. We pour 100 per cent of our
energy into one speciality and reap 100 per
cent perfection in what we do,” he explains.
Ian’s heart is in the artisan place.
“While I love winning business awards
and receiving accolades, it’s the personal
stories and recipes I receive from
customers at markets and shows, and how
they use my vinegar, that I love the most,”
he says. His secret to the perfect vinegar
is a philosophy that’s relatable to any craft.
“It’s really pretty simple. Know your craft,
use good ingredients and focus on your
field,” Ian shares.

Making vinegar
If you’re going down the DIY route with
vinegar, there are a few important things
to keep in mind, namely the quality of
the ingredients and the mix of flavours.
“The most important thing is high-quality
ingredients and the flavours have to be in
balance,” Greg advises.
Ian says making vinegar is a two-stage,
all-natural fermentation, which begins with
the yeast eating the sugar to make alcohol.
“That means yeast eats apple juice, a sugar,
to make cider. Or grape juice to make wine,”
he explains. “Step two is where a bacteria
called aceto bacter eats the alcohol and
converts it to acetic acid — thus completing
the fermentation of sugar to alcohol to wine,
meaning apples to cider to cider vinegar.”
“The cool thing about vinegar is that it is
a continual culture; when the alcohol is
almost all consumed, we remove some of
the vinegar and top up the ferment with
fresh cider or wine,” Ian explains. “The
‘mother’ is not actually the sediment in the
bottle that people think. It’s the term for
the barrel, or tank, that the fermentation
is taking place in. The fermentation cycle
can be as long as 10 years in the barrel, but
typically 12 to 24 months. It can even be as
short as 24 hours in modern fermentation

equipment. Regardless of the time or the

vessel, it’s still a two-stage fermentation

with yeast and bacteria. It’s all natural,

and all good for you.”

Healthbenefits

Withdigestivehealthallthehype,you’ll

bepleasedtoknowthatvinegaris a gut-

friendlyfood.Theaceticacidinvinegar,

whichis a by-productofthefermentation

processofthealcoholandbacteria,is what

makesthisingredientespeciallynourishing.

“Allvinegaris goodforyou,”explains

Ian.“Thebenefitsareintheaceticacid,not

thesedimentor‘mother’asmanybelieve.

Theaceticacidconvertstoacetateinyour

stomach,whichtriggersa wholeseriesof

positivedigestivereactionsinyourbody.”

Thesepositivereactionsincludeincreasing

thebody’sabsorptionofmineralsfromfood,

controllingbloodsugarlevelsandreducing

cholesterol,tonamea few.

Stayingsustainable

Sustainabilityis vitalformanyartisan

vinegarmakers,includingtheteamat

GrampiansOliveCo.“Asa familybusiness,

sustainabilityis vitalforus.If wearenot

operatingsustainablythenwearetaking

fromthenextgeneration,”explainsGreg,

whose28,000-treegroveis oneofthe

oldestinAustralia.It wasestablishedin

1943 andcovers 500 hectares,withthe

whole grove certified organic with NASA A.

“This means we work with nature rather

than against it,” Greg continues, adding

that they don’t spray any pesticides or

herbicides and that the trees on the grove

are fertilised with compost and sheep

manure.“Ourgroveis alsodryland,

meaningthetreesaresolelyrelianton

naturalrainfall—noirrigation.”

AustralianVinegaris alsonostranger

tosustainability.“I don’tthinkany

businessesthesedayscanoperate

withoutunderstandingthecoreessenceof

sustainability,”saysGreg.“Sustainability

goesbeyondourcommitmenttothe

environment,ouractiveprogramsto

reducewaterconsumption,toreduceour

wasteandourcommitmenttoimproved

efficiency.OurR&Dprogramlastyear

accountedfor 15 percentofourtotal

turnover,anda majorityofthatactivity

wasdirectedtoprojectsinreusingfood

productionby-productstomakevinegar.

It’sanincrediblyinnovativeandpassionate

workplace,”heshares.

AllyMcManus,theformereditorof

WellBeing, is a freelancewriterandeditorin

magazineandbookpublishing.Whensheisn’t

workingoncopyorinterviewingtalent,she

is teachingandpractisingyogaonVictoria’s

BellarinePeninsula.

Gluten-freevinegar

If youhaveceliacdisease,it’sbest

foryoutoconsumewinevinegar,

apple-cidervinegar,balsamicvinegar

andricevinegar,asthesearegluten-

freeoptions.Butif you’renotoverly

sensitive,distilledwhitevinegarhas

lessthantheglutenthresholdandmay

beabletobetolerated.Maltvinegar,on

theotherhand,containsglutenfrom

barleyandshouldbeavoided.

“The ‘mother’ is not actually

the sediment in the bottle

that people think. It’s the

term for the barrel, or tank,

that the fermentation is

taking place in.”

EatWell | 111