Brauerei Gegenbauer was founded in 1929, largely producing sauerkraut, gherkins and other vegetables preserved by vinegar. During the hard post-war years, problems with vinegar deliveries led the company to produce its own vinegar. About 20 years ago, Erwin M. Gegenbauer, Jr., grandson of the founder and a wine connoisseur, developed a passion for making fine fruit vinegars; that became an obsession to create the highest-quality vinegars on earth. The vinegars are made like fine wine, pure, all-natural fruit juice is pressed from the finest fruit and brought to alcoholic fermentation with cultured yeast. During the fermentation and maturing period, the wine is constantly monitored for both temperature and oxygen supply to create optimal living conditions for the bacteria. After the fermentation, the vinegar is stored in glass carboys (large bottles with short, narrow necks, usually encased in basketwork or a wooden box) until it is ready to be slowly matured in small oak barrels, where the sediment is removed several times over a five year period. This meticulous artisan production results in the highest quality vinegars.
Elderberry Vinegar The elderberries were harvested ca. 20 km south of Vienna, at the peak of their ripeness, had their stems removed, were pressed only by their own weight (“strain must”), and brought to an alcoholic fermentation by adding pure cultured yeast. Deep purple in color this vinegar smells of dark fruit, minerals and herbs. This vinegar tastes like elderberry heaven with a bite. Perfect for duck, squab, reductions, used in salads and for dessert sauces.
