Producer Vinaigrerie La Guinelle

FRANCE, LANGUEDOC-ROUSSILLON

La Guinelle is the only open-air vinegar factory in all of Europe. This gives a peculiar character to its products because the acetic bacteria are "selected" naturally by the winter weather and summer heat. For all vinegars, the starting wine is "refined" in full barriques so that contact with the air starts the process that transforms the alcohol into vinegar. A veil forms on the surface which thickens as the weeks pass. When the process is finished, the vinegar is separated from the mother and transferred to glass containers where it remains for several months before being bottled. The vinegars are not filtered or treated in any way so there may be a small deposit at the bottom of the bottles. Nathalie Lefort's fantastic vinegars are born from the wines of friendly producers, mostly well-known, and in just a few years have become the point of reference for the most important chefs in France.