Weinessiggut Doktorenhof: Why artisanal vinegar takes 30 years | The Canberra Times
If you had asked me before joining Trafalgar’s Best of the Rhine and Amsterdam river cruise what I expected the highlights to be, vinegar tasting would not have made the top 10. I was wrong.
Craft vinegar produced in small batches is one of the next big epicurean trends, prized like fine wine by top chefs and adventurous home cooks. If you know (I didn’t) you know that cheap supermarket vinegar takes less than an hour to make. Good things can take thirty years or more.
“Please do not consume supermarket-bought vinegar,” says our guide at the Weinessiggut Doktorenhof, a specialized vinegar production facility. “If you want to clean something but you’re not putting it in your salad, it has a function.”
The property is located in southwestern Germany’s Palatinate wine country, near the Rhine River city of Speyer, a short bus ride from where our ship, Trafalgar Verity, docked. The visit is one of Trafalgar’s signature “Make Travel Matter” experiences, promoting sustainable production and environmentally friendly farming practices.
to call Doktorenhof Establishing a vinegar factory would be a big misstep. Continuing the traditions of the Weidemann family passed down through generations, this place is a sanctuary dedicated to the so-called “sour wine”; It is a place where the slow-ripening elixir is carefully prepared and carefully tasted.
The first part of the tour requires some theatrical dressing. We are each given a heavy, hooded velvet robe to wear. Seems like a crossover between the extras on the set Eyes Wide Shut and Gregorian monks, we descend into a candlelit underground crypt.
The air is thick and cool, heavy with the aroma of fermenting grapes and pungent herbs. Old oak barrels line the walls, holding fine local riesling and pinot noir that have been left to sour naturally over the years.
“We’re taking our time here, we’re not in a hurry,” says our guide. “Everything is made by hand and the produce is completely organic. Yes, we are more expensive than Costco; you pay for the knowledge, the love, and the time it takes to do it right.”
Next stop, a seated tasting, an opportunity for our palates to explore. Waiters dispense small portions of vinegar in custom-made flutes, encouraging us to swirl, smell and taste like a fine wine.
Forget the harsh acidity of cheap vinegar: The first sip is sweet and made from local figs that have grown in the region since the Romans brought them here 2,000 years ago. The next one, my favorite, compares to a nice aged balsamic that I would love to sprinkle over air-fried Brussels sprouts. We try a dark digestive juice enriched with wild berries and chocolate, and a therapeutic herbal blend designed to enhance digestion.
It’s almost time for us to rejoin the ship, but not before visiting the gift shop. Craft vinegars are loading into carts faster than you can say, “Yep, this little bottle is definitely worth the $30 price tag.”
