Walter and Donna Nicolau purchased the Classic Wine Vinegar Company 15 years ago as a weekend hobby, and along with sons Walter "Sonny" III, (also a fledgling farmstead goat cheese maker), and Tim, bottle vinegars under 45 different labels. We manufacture wine vinegars, using the oak barrel-aged process called the "Orléans method." The technique, considered the premium vinegar-making style in the world, is based on a method developed in Orléans, France, during the Middle Ages. We are one of the few Orléans artisans left in California. Our annual production now reaches 45,000-50,000 gallons. Classic Wine Vinegar Company occasionally presses its own grapes and has expanded into the more moderately flavored fruit vinegars. We also bottle virgin olive oils and flavored dipping oils.
In the past few years, wine vinegar has become a prized specialty item. With an increase in the popularity of the Food Network, where Classic Wine Vinegar was recently featured, knowledge of food has led to the desire for less-acidic vinegar. Red wine vinegars made with varietals like cabernet, zinfandel and sangiovese, are robust vinegars and are ideal for salad dressings and steak marinades.
Classic Wine Vinegar Company is committed to producing high quality products for your company. There is a huge difference in the quality of the vinegar made in the Central Valley because there is such a high quality of grapes available to us. We are also very cautious about the wine we use, making sure that the wines (used in any given batch) are from the same area and grown in the same way -- to ensure quality and consistency. We want to be sure we capture the exact flavor profile. We put a lot of effort into product quality, bottle choice, and label design for each of our clients. We also hand inspect each bottle coming off the line to insure a quality product every time.