Meet the Aude producer behind artisan balsamic vinegar Granhota
Laurent Faure also produces flavoured vinegars at Granhota in Coursan. Visitors can tour the vinaigrerie, taste the products and buy direct
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Vinegar producer Laurent Faure owns the Granhota vinaigrerie in Coursan (Aude) and is truly enthusiastic about the products he makes.
“When I set this up in 2010, it was a strange project, but balsamic vinegar is much more à la mode now. My family has been cultivating these vineyards for half a century, but I was more interested in transformation than cultivation. I wanted to find a bridge between vines and gastronomy, which is how I came up with this idea.”
The family doesn’t produce enough grapes for his entire output, so they use them exclusively for their balsamic vinegars (which are their best-sellers) and, for their other vinegars, they buy in what they need from other local vineyards within a 5-6km radius.
“I use all sorts of grape varieties, which give a range of flavours.”
His balsamic vinegars include flavours such as mango, apricot, apple and fig. His classic vinegars include honey, raspberry, lemon, pepper, thyme, walnut, ginger and a special one for oysters.
“It is very light and fragrant, developed to enhance the flavour of shellfish without dominating it. I think lemon can be a bit too acidic, a bit overwhelming.”
He also makes a small range of mustards and olive oil and sells online via his website.
“I also export a lot to Japan, the US and Canada. My products are stocked in some local shops, and I sell to commercial clients. A growing market, however, is making vinegar for winemakers who are seeking to diversify. They can’t make it themselves because if the bacteria used in making vinegar get anywhere near the wine, it could spell disaster.
“To make vinegar you need heat and air, but winemakers are always protecting their wines, keeping them cool and dark. They say a bad winemaker is a good vinegar-maker and vice versa. So vignerons deliver their grapes to us and we make vinegar for them. That’s a growing market for us.”
Laurent Faure welcomes visits to the vinaigrerie and doesn’t charge for them.
“We show people how we work, and they can taste our products and buy them.”
Check the website for dates and times.
