This gorgeous Italian fruit vinegar—made by Pojer e Sandri, one of the most well-known wineries in the Trento region of Northern Italy—starts with a mix of both sweet and sour cherries grown on their own estate and the neighboring farmers’ orchards. The fruit is gently pressed and its juice is inoculated with yeast to ferment. When the fermented fruit juice achieves the right sugar content, it is transferred to oak barrels with some “mother” vinegar—a process as known as the trucciolo lento method—and aged for 18 to 24 months.

The result is a nuanced vinegar that captures the essence of juicy, sun-ripened cherries with a sharp, yet not-too-sour acidity. Pojer e Sandri’s exceptional craftsmanship, delectable taste and attractive hand-drawn label makes this vinegar an elegant gift for everyone, from the novice cook to the foodie who has almost everything.

Pojer e Sandri Cherry Fruit Vinegar’s robust cherry flavor pairs beautifully with rich meats and game—drizzle over seared duck breasts, add a splash to a marinade for steak or use in a sweet-and-sour glaze for roasted pork tenderloin.

This brilliant vinegar also pairs well with fresh fruit and produce—try it with sliced pineapple, citrus fruit, melons and strawberries. Or double the cherry goodness—toss pitted fresh cherries with Cherry Fruit Vinegar and sugar to taste, and let them sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Serve the macerated cherries over lightly sweetened mascarpone cheese, vanilla ice cream or silky panna cotta.

THE PRODUCER:

Perched on the steep eastern side of the canyon-like valley of the Adige River, Pojer & Sandri is one of the most remarkable wineries in the Trento region of Italy.The dynamic team of Fiorentino Pojer and Marco Sandri have owned the estate since 1978, when Fiorentino, as the landowner, teamed up with Marco, who had just graduated from enological school. They set out to protect and revive the many local grapes of the area and produce wines which were almost forgotten. Their respect of the environment and traditions along with their outgoing personalities and hospitality soon set them on a class of their own. Today, they are widely respected as one of the most unique and trend-setting wineries in Italy.

Instead of adopting modern techniques with ultrafast acetifications, Pojer & Sandri has continued to operate in a traditional way with the "family method" which consists in placing good wine or fermented fruit juices in the wooden barrels.
The transformation of the raw material into vinegar occurs slowly, in 12 - 18 - 24 months. Over time, considerable quantities of esterification products are formed in these vinegars, as well as other volatile constituents that impart a delicate and deliciously harmonious aroma and flavor to the vinegar.
Quality raw materials, strictly of regional or even company origin such as wine, quinces, elderberries, black currants, time and the use of good woods has allowed us to produce unique vinegars, maximum personalization and originality for dishes more and more exciting.

These are the basic principles of their production philosophy:

- Raw material: Only top quality and not the waste of other processes. Quality raw materials. strictly of regional or even corporate origin such as wine, quinces, elderberries, allow us to produce unique vinegars, maximum customization and originality for increasingly exciting dishes.

- Times: Times must be respected. Absolute non-existence of mechanical forcing that would alter the organoleptic qualities of the raw material. Instead of adopting modern techniques with ultra fast acetifications (in 24 hours it is possible to acetify wine) we continued to operate in a traditional way with the "family method" which consists in placing good wine or fermented fruit juices in the wooden barrels and leaving them in contact for a very long time: 12-18-24 months.

- Temperature: Never take action on it. The goal is to fully respect the original scents and aromas which, with oxidation, evolve and enrich themselves continuously.