Chardonnay Verjus
Verjus is Wine Vinegar's Classy Cousin
An upscale replacement for lemon juice or vinegar in recipes, verjus is a traditional French preparation that has gained a following among American chefs because of its assertive and aromatic flavor.
Navarro Vineyards in Mendocino's Anderson Valley makes verjus from first-crop Chardonnay grapes. These grapes have high acidity in addition to an apple flavor. - San Francisco Chronicle, March 12, 1997.
The French Have a Word For It: Verjus.
You could also call it tart grape juice - or the latest answer to balsamic vinegar. San Francisco chef Gary Danko, winner of the 1995 James Beard award for best California chef, waxes enthusiastic about fruit-tart verjus, the unfermented juice of unripe wine grapes. Navarro Vineyards sell verjus by mail only. - Sunset Magazine, January 1997.
Bored With Balsamic?
Verjus was preferred to vinegar in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance; it's the juice of unripe grapes, fruitier than vinegar and with a less rackety sourness. Hardly anybody makes it anymore - except Navarro Vineyards in Philo, California. Try them. - Los Angeles Times, December 2, 1993.