Ver s at i le v i nega r
We chat with dedicated artisans across Australia bottling
vinegar with passion, love and care.Words
/
Ally McManusT
he adage, "The whole is greater
than the sum of its parts,” may
well ring true for vinegar, which in
French (vin aigre) translates to “sour
wine”. You’ve no doubt got a bottle or two
of the sour-tasting liquid in your kitchen,
where it has widespread use in an array of
recipes, cuisines and dishes.
Vinegar is made through the fermentation
of alcoholic liquids such as wine, beer or
cider. The type of fermented alcohol used
influences the flavour of the vinegar: rice
is used to make rice vinegar; apples are
used to make apple-cider vinegar; grapes
are used to make red wine, white wine and
champagne vinegar; and malted barley is
used to make malt vinegar.
One exception to the liquor rule, however,
is balsamic vinegar. Unlike its alcoholic
counterparts, balsamic vinegar is made
from the grape juice of white Trebbiano
grapes. Its name comes from the Italian
phrase “aceto balsamico”, which means
curative vinegar, as in the Middle Ages
the ingredient was used to heal and cure
ailments due to its therapeutic effects.
Vinegar contains an array of vitamins,
minerals and compounds that differ
based on the type of vinegar. If vinegar is
pasteurised, which most varieties on the
market are, this means it has been heat-
treated and this process kills the “mother”
bacteria, or culture, which is used to
ferment the alcohol. However, some types
of vinegar, such as apple-cider vinegar,
can be non-pasteurised and instead are
labelled as “raw” vinegar.
Dedicated artisans across the nation
take all of these factors into account when
formulating their much-loved vinegar in
order to produce a high-quality, sustainable
and delicious product.The variety of vinegar
Flavour compounds
Vinegar has been used in cooking for
thousands of years and, despite that its
sourness can have negative connotations when
used to describe someone’s demeanour, it’s
considered a positive trait when it comes to the
liquid’s taste. The acidic liquid is widely used as
a condiment and for pickling, and offers a sour
flavour to food. Given its acidic tartness, adding
vinegar to creamy sauces and dressings will
help lighten up and balance out the flavours.Greg Mathews is the owner-operator at
Grampians Olive Co, an award-winning and
family-owned olive grove that produces
organic cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil and
artisan vinegar in Victoria. Their product is
crafted in small batches to guarantee
a high quality and the vinegar is bottled on
their farm. Grampians Olive Co’s range of
vinegars is recommended for use on salads,
dipped with bread or as a finishing drizzle over
meals. “Try mixing our lemon pressed olive
oil and golden orange caramelised balsamic
for a quick salad dressing with deep flavour
complexity,” Greg suggests.
Chemical compounds
Good flavouring aside, vinegar has a low pH
level, so it is also used in cooking and baking
to elicit a variety of chemical reactions. Forexample, vinegar is often combined with
baking soda as the combination of baking
soda and acid creates a light, fluffy texture.
Vinegar is also a popular ingredient in meat
marinades as the acid breaks down the
meat’s fibres, tenderising it in the process.
Natural finishing vinegars
To complement the organic olive oil
production at Grampians Olive Co, Greg
and his team decided to collaborate with
Australian artisan vinegar makers to create
three high-quality vinegars. These include
a gluten-free golden orange caramelised
balsamic finishing vinegar made with
Australian oranges; a gluten-free roasted
capsicum finishing vinegar made with
Australian red capsicums; as well as a
Shiraz red-wine vinegar, which is naturally
fermented and aged in oak barrels and
makes a great vinaigrette. “To make our
golden orange caramelised balsamic,
whole Australian oranges are boiled down;
the whole fruit is used to give a full flavour.
Next, balsamic vinegar, golden syrup
and spices are added and caramelisation
begins,” Greg explains.Photography: GettyThe flavour file
Find out about the taste profiles in
common types of vinegar.
Balsamic vinegar — sweet flavour
Malt vinegar — classic, malted barley
flavour
Apple and raspberry vinegars —
fruity flavour
Apple-cider vinegar — sour flavour
Rice vinegar — sweet and sour flavour
Vinegar can also be flavoured after
production, with garlic and chilli
popular flavours to use in this format.Vinegar contains an array
of vitamins, minerals and
compounds that diff er based
on the type of vinegar.110 | EatWellARTISAN ALLEY
vinegarEWL026_110-111 Artisan Alley Vinegar-PR.indd 110EWL026_110-111 Artisan Alley Vinegar-PR.indd 110 5/08/2019 11:48:59 AM5/08/2019 11:48:59 AMVer s at i le v i nega r
WechatwithdedicatedartisansacrossAustralia bottling
vinegarwithpassion,loveandcare.Words/AllyMcManusT
headage,"Thewholeis greater
thanthesumofitsparts,”may
wellringtrueforvinegar,whichin
French(vinaigre) translatesto“sour
wine”.You’venodoubtgota bottleortwo
ofthesour-tastingliquidinyourkitchen,
whereit haswidespreaduseinanarrayof
recipes,cuisinesanddishes.
Vinegaris madethroughthefermentation
ofalcoholicliquidssuchaswine,beeror
cider.Thetypeoffermentedalcoholused
influencestheflavourofthevinegar:rice
is usedtomakericevinegar;applesare
usedtomakeapple-cidervinegar;grapes
areusedtomakeredwine,whitewineand
champagnevinegar;andmaltedbarleyis
usedtomakemaltvinegar.
Oneexceptiontotheliquorrule,however,
is balsamicvinegar.Unlikeitsalcoholic
counterparts,balsamicvinegaris made
fromthegrapejuiceofwhiteTrebbiano
grapes.ItsnamecomesfromtheItalian
phrase“acetobalsamico”, whichmeans
curativevinegar,asintheMiddleAges
theingredientwasusedtohealandcure
ailmentsduetoitstherapeuticeffects.
Vinegarcontainsanarrayofvitamins,
mineralsandcompoundsthatdiffer
basedonthetypeofvinegar.If vinegaris
pasteurised,whichmostvarietiesonthe
marketare,thismeansit hasbeenheat-
treatedandthisprocesskillsthe“mother”
bacteria,orculture,whichis usedto
fermentthealcohol.However,sometypes
ofvinegar,suchasapple-cidervinegar,
canbenon-pasteurisedandinsteadare
labelledas“raw”vinegar.
Dedicatedartisansacrossthenation
takeallofthesefactorsintoaccountwhen
formulatingtheirmuch-lovedvinegarin
ordertoproducea high-quality,sustainable
anddeliciousproduct.Thevarietyofvinegar
Flavourcompounds
Vinegarhasbeenusedin cookingfor
thousandsofyearsand,despitethatits
sournesscanhavenegativeconnotationswhen
usedtodescribesomeone’sdemeanour,it’s
considereda positivetraitwhenit comestothe
liquid’staste.Theacidicliquidis widelyusedas
a condimentandforpickling,andoffersa sour
flavourtofood.Givenitsacidictartness,adding
vinegartocreamysaucesanddressingswill
helplightenupandbalanceouttheflavours.GregMathewsis theowner-operatorat
GrampiansOliveCo,anaward-winningand
family-ownedolivegrovethatproduces
organiccold-pressedextra-virginoliveoiland
artisanvinegarin Victoria.Theirproductis
craftedin smallbatchestoguarantee
a highqualityandthevinegaris bottledon
theirfarm.GrampiansOliveCo’srangeof
vinegarsis recommendedforuseonsalads,
dippedwithbreadorasa finishingdrizzleover
meals.“Trymixingourlemonpressedolive
oilandgoldenorangecaramelisedbalsamic
fora quicksaladdressingwithdeepflavour
complexity,”Gregsuggests.
Chemicalcompounds
Goodflavouringaside,vinegarhasa lowpH
level,soit is alsousedincookingandbaking
toelicita varietyofchemicalreactions.Forexample, vinegar is often combined with
baking soda as the combination of baking
soda and acid creates a light, fluffy texture.
Vinegar is also a popular ingredient in meat
marinades as the acid breaks down the
meat’s fibres, tenderising it in the process.
Natural finishing vinegars
To complement the organic olive oil
production at Grampians Olive Co, Greg
and his team decided to collaborate with
Australian artisan vinegar makers to create
three high-quality vinegars. These include
a gluten-free golden orange caramelised
balsamic finishing vinegar made with
Australian oranges; a gluten-free roasted
capsicum finishing vinegar made with
Australian red capsicums; as well as a
Shiraz red-wine vinegar, which is naturally
fermented and aged in oak barrels and
makes a great vinaigrette. “To make our
golden orange caramelised balsamic,
whole Australian oranges are boiled down;
the whole fruit is used to give a full flavour.
Next, balsamic vinegar, golden syrup
and spices are added and caramelisation
begins,” Greg explains.Photography: GettyThe flavour file
Find out about the taste profiles in
common types of vinegar.
Balsamic vinegar — sweet flavour
Malt vinegar — classic, malted barley
flavour
Apple and raspberry vinegars —
fruity flavour
Apple-cider vinegar — sour flavour
Rice vinegar — sweet and sour flavour
Vinegar can also be flavoured after
production, with garlic and chilli
popular flavours to use in this format.Vinegar contains an array
of vitamins, minerals and
compounds that diff er based
on the type of vinegar.110 | EatWellARTISAN ALLEY
vinegar