Garnatxa Vinegar
Espelt
For eight generations, the Espelt family has been renowned grape growers, not vintners, in the Empordà wine region located in northeastern Catalonia, bounded by the Pyrenees to the north and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. This changed in 2000, when Lluís and Quimeta Espelt constructed a large, state-of-the-art winery in their village and began making their own wine, rather than supplying grapes to others. Though relatively new to winemaking, Espelt produces wines that have drawn frequent acclaim from esteemed wine critics. Anna, their grandaughter and a trained biologist, brought a fresh, international perspective to their award-winning vintages, which is also reflected in their fine red and white wine vinegars.
Anna believes in letting the grapes express their own character, and thus grows native varieties organically with minimal intervention. Her Garnatxa red wine is aged in French oak barrels for 12 months, transformed into a fine vinegar, and blended with concentrated grape must for balance.
Espelt Garnatxa Vinegar is juicy and soft, with subtle notes of ripe blackberry, raspberry, and licorice, plus a gentle acidity (6%). A cook's dream, this vinegar is easy to use on everything from fresh salads, to meat entrées, to fruit desserts.
