Although the Egyptians, Babylonians and Ancient Greeks all knew of and used vinegar in their cuisine, it was the Romans that conquered its magical flavours and methods of production. But over the years vinegar became less of an artisanal ingredient and more of a commodity, being created on an industrial scale to meet demand over the world. Today, the majority of vinegars in the shops are made in giant factories that can create gallons and gallons of the stuff in a matter of hours. However, there are still those small-scale producers that dedicate their lives to the craft to create something truly unique.
Josko Sirk is of those people. Along with his wife Loredana he owns La Subida, an estate in Friuli-Venezia Giulia bordering Slovenia with a Michelin-starred restaurant at its core, headed up by chef Alessandro Gavagna. But away from the busy kitchen and charming dining room lies buildings full of barrels. Rather than wine, inside each of these is a very special vinegar made from fresh grapes.
Collio, the area where La Subida is based, is a micro-region known for its unique climate and white wines, which are made even more delicious thanks to breezes off the Adriatic Sea and Ribolla Gialla, the local grape variety. It’s this same grape that’s fermented by Josko to create a barrel-aged grape vinegar with a particularly tart taste that’s now considered symbolic of Italy’s Slow Food movement. It represents the Italian tradition of producing food the slow and old way, following a philosophy and set of ethics that stay true to the ingredients.
