Not just sour grapes.

Navarro Vineyards has been making Verjus since the early 1980’s, but the sensational ingredient has been around since the middle ages. Verjus is French and translated into English means “green juice.” It is non-fermented grape juice from unripe grapes with high acidity and a tart apple-like flavor. In the middle ages Verjus was often preferred to vinegar and it was widely used as a sauce ingredient, a meat tenderizer, a condiment and as a component of salad dressing. While vinegar may interfere, Verjus compliments wine.

Mendocino is blessed with sparkling fresh seafood, abundant organic gardens and creative chefs who have been using Navarro’s Verjus to bedazzle food lovers. Some of our favorite Mendocino restaurants and B&B’s have been generous enough to share their Verjus recipes with us. These recipes are just a few ideas of how to be creative with Verjus. Our daughter Sarah likes to pour it over crushed ice, adds some sparkling water and calls it “winemaker’s lemonade.” Verjus can be stored just like fine wine but please refrigerate after opening. Unlined cast iron and aluminum can react with acids such as Verjus to form off flavors, so an enameled cast iron, stainless steel or lined copper pan is preferred for the following recipes.

Sincerely,
Ted Bennett & Deborah Cahn