An uncommon addition to your vinegar collection comes from Sirk in Friuli, a region in northeast Italy. Like traditional balsamic vinegar, Sirk is made from grapes, not wine, the base for many vinegars. But the similarity ends there. Ribolla Gialla white grapes, prized for winemaking in the region, are macerated and slowly allowed to ferment with their skins for a year. White grapes and skin contact is why the makers, according to Beatrice Ughi, who imports it for her company, Gustiamo, call it the “orange wine” of vinegars. The fermented juice then spends several years in small oak barrels to evolve into the delicately fruity pinkish vinegar. It’s a finishing vinegar; the smaller size is a slender spray bottle.
Sirk Grape Vinegar, $18.50 for 3.3 ounces, $27.50 for 8.4 ounces, gustiamo.com.
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