Made-in-BC Balsamic Vinegar from Venturi-Schultze

Where there is wine, there is usually also vinegar, and Vancouver Island is no exception. In addition to wines, Venturi-Schultze Vineyards (www.venturischulze.com/index.php) in Cobble Hill also produce their own balsamic vinegar. I first heard about it in the book British Columbia Wine Country (Schreiner & Miller, 2007) published by Whitecap Books (www.whitecap.ca), a gift from a friend last summer, and my curiosity was definitely piqued at that time. A recent trip to Vancouver Island to visit family provided the perfect opportunity to learn more.

Two days before our trip, I emailed the winery to ask about the possibility of wine and vinegar tasting, as according to their website, it’s by appointment only. Marilyn Schultze got back to me right away with a very friendly email explaining that they don’t really have wine tasting (they’re happy to do it if you’re willing to buy the bottles they open) but they’d be happy to do a vinegar tasting for us. I was very much looking forward to it and would love to be able to write about the visit. But as it turned out, the birds arrived earlier than expected and they had to spend the day in the fields putting up the bird nets to protect the grapes from winged marauders, so we didn’t get to do a tasting after all. Marilyn was very apologetic about the change in plans, although she didn’t need to be; these things happen, especially in such small operations. But she did suggest that if I really wanted some of the vinegar, she could leave a bottle for me to pick up. A marvelous idea.

I of course had to open it as soon as we got home, and have used it in a few dishes already (my favorite being a cauliflower ‘pilaf’ - cauliflower bits sautéed with finely chopped, garlic, shallots, and red pepper, finished with a little sea salt, pepper, sherry, butter, and just before serving, a touch of the balsamic vinegar). The acid is very gentle, and unlike many of the inexpensive supermarket versions, you can actually tell this product started out as wine. I look forward to being able to return at some point to learn more about them and their vinegar and wines.

If you are interested in visiting, be aware that it is easier to get to when driving north than south (a quick off and on versus two turns and a windy road), although the turnoff is much less noticeable in that direction. If you just want to try the vinegar, it is available in several stores around the province.