Ciao from the Bini family, 4th generation wine vinegar producers. Their acetificio was founded in Mantova by Ennio Bini back in 1927. Today, his great grandson (also named Ennio) runs the family biz with his wife and kids. They’re wine vinegar artisans, dedicating their life to a unique traditional method that’d be lost without them.
Ennio Jr still makes wine vinegar the way his great grandfather Ennio Snr used to do in the 1920s: slowly and without shortcuts. Here’s why this Valpolicella red wine vinegar is different from your usual vinegar:
Made with single origin vino from the nearby Veneto hills. They use only 100% Valpolicella wine DOC certified (no leftover wine gone bad, here);
Fermented slowly, percolating the wine through local grape stalks. Giving life to a vinegar that keeps the bold character of the wine takes a few weeks (vs a few hours);
Raw vinegar, the process that turns alcohol into acetic acid happens at room temp, without ever heating or pasteurizing, to preserve all the vinegar goodness;
Aged in oak barrels for about 5 years, time and contact with wood slowly mellow out the acidity and impart a deeper, more complex flavor;
The Binis leave some residues and sediments so their vinegar keeps evolving in the bottle, refining the aromas and developing a rounded tartness. This vinegar is ALIVE.
TASTING NOTES
This Valpolicella red wine vinegar is savory, slightly fizzy, rich, and woody: it brightens and deepens the flavor of the food it is paired with. Try it in a vinaigrette or dressing for your salad, on any type of eggs, with oysters, to make agrodolce onions, or to marinate your meat; its crisp acidity balanced by fruity notes will change the way you look at red wine vinegar.
RED WINE VINEGAR SECRET TRICK
We turned to the queen of cucina romana Sarah Cicolini of the iconic restaurant Santo Palato for this pro Amatriciana move: pour a teaspoon of red wine vinegar in the pan, after you’ve rendered your guanciale. Vinegar in Amatriciana? Yes, it will add a pleasant zing and create a WOW effect.
GET OUR AMATRICIANA RECIPE HERE