Vincotto Originale is made using local
Negroamaro and Malvasia grapes, matured on the vine for a further 30
days. In Italian these call this process "passito". After pressing the
grapes, the must is then cooked and reduced to 1/5 of its original
volume. This is then aged in old oak barrels for a minimum period of 4
years during which period it is carefully supervised.
___No colorants, additives, or preservatives are used, or for that matter needed.
Vincotto products do not contain alcohol or added sugar, making them
also suitable for some special diets The generic process used to
produce Vincotto Originale goes back millennium. In Roman times this
was used as a very stable method of persevering and transporting grape
musts that were later used for medicinal remedies, local culinary
dishes , as sweetener s for cakes ( they did not have sugar beet), and
diluting for both soft drinks or further fermenting to produce a type
of alcoholic wine. The Roman chronicler Pliny the Elder (23- 9AD)
mentions this in his writings.
___The
resulting matured Vincotto Originale, is sweet. This Originale can then
be transformed into Vinegars of Vincotto by blending with vinegar from
the same grapes and then further maturing for a minimum of 6 months.
The result is a product that is "legato" i.e. the sweet and vinegar
properties bind and are transformed into a smooth rich vinegar. Some
are these vinegars are further blended with local fruits such as Figs,
Raspberies, Lemon, and Carrob. There are also other produces in
the range such as a Hot Pepper Vincotto that has been produced by
blending the sweet Vincotto Originale with locally grown sun dried hot
peppers.
