Box Grove Vineyard 2020 Verjus

State winner of the 2018 delicious. Produce Awards.

Vignerons have been making verjus for centuries. In cool years, removing some unripe fruit lightens the crop load and ensures what remains will ripen. And rather than discard the fruit, we crush it, settle the juice and end up with verjus—delicious pure grape juice that is fantastic to cook with. Its crisp freshness cuts through the rich flavours of many pork or seafood dishes, and without the astringency of vinegar or lemon juice, it makes a wonderful hollandaise. It also works well when poaching pears and quinces. While the verjus' natural fresh acid should prevent any spontaneous fermentation in the bottle, once open it should be kept refrigerated.