110 - Stephanie and Jay Rostow, Virginia Vinegar Works. Why is acid the most important component of any dish?

Welcome to a conversation about perception. Because whether you believe vinegar is a supreme condiment or an item best left to the depths of your dusty pantry shelves, whether or not you think all Norton wine should be vinegar, or whether you’re still under the perception acid is a secondary notion when it comes to flavor profiles, my talk with Jay and Stephanie Rostow of Virginia Vinegar Works is not one to be missed. And I cannot even believe I just typed out the words “flavor profiles”.

But here, and rightly so, acid is a flavor that is king. It’s the brightness, the lightness, that extra kick at the back of your throat on top of a fatty dish heavy with butter, that zing which makes your taste buds cry out. Acid elevates every other flavor in a dish. I still say, “Gild the lily...” to myself when I spritz lemon juice or vinegar on just about every prepared dish in my kitchen, even though the source of the quote, a chef known for his Orange crocs, still turns my stomach. Because that’s what acid does. It adds gold to golden. It adds more to more.

Virginia Vinegar Works vinegars are definitely more. Hand-crafted using the centuries-old Orleans Method at a small warehouse in Shipman, Virginia using wine the Rostows select themselves. Consciously and carefully, using their decades of winery experience. These guys understand terroir. They also understand in order to make great vinegar, you start with great wine. That particular conversation between producer and vintner sometimes requires a bit of counseling. After all, no craftsman wants to be told their wine isn’t just right. In the early days, phones calls often ended abruptly, but over the years, perceptions changed. Now vintners call them. And for good reason, because the Rostows just won four medals in their first competition.

“You can’t make a really good vinegar out of a really bad wine.”

Perception. Using face-to-face connection to sell rather than relying solely on big box stores. The Rostows do it all from production to bottling to selling, which helps tell the story of their business, something so important when you exist in a virtual sea of artisanal food products.

“We don’t like to waste anything. It’s part of our business. If we can take some wine that isn’t going to make the grade for minor reasons, those are the wines we’re going to take...Those are the ones we’re going to work with...The vinegar that comes from that is going to be delicious.”

How is a vinegar maker like a farmer? How does being married affect the business? Why is most balsamic vinegar you find in the store fake? What about their 2012 vintage? When will it be ready to taste? All this and more. Give a listen then get you some. Pour it liberally. Taste the terroir. Elevate your taste buds.

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