Definition: verjus 2

These bunches, which are completely immature at the time of harvest, must not be picked under any circumstances. They contain an acidic juice that would impair the quality of the must. When harvested late, they can be used to extract verjus, a seasoning sought after in gastronomy.

Today, winegrowers, keen to reduce the harvest in order to improve quality, are using a new technique that involves producing verjus from the green harvest that takes place in July and August, rather than losing the product of these bunches by leaving them on the ground.
These grapes contain abundant acid. In the Middle Ages, the unfermented pressed juice was preserved by adding salt. Today, pasteurisation is used to obtain a more delicate and pure quality, with a longer shelf life.

Today's haute cuisine strives for harmony of the senses. This absolute taste experience is achieved through a precise balance of sour, sweet and salty flavours combined with aromas. In their search for new flavours, chefs in haute cuisine have rediscovered this ancient nectar with its light acidity and fresh aromas as an alternative to vinegar and lemon juice. Today, the revival of verjus serves gastronomy, as well as all food lovers, to refine sauces, salads, meat and fish. It has also been realised that this type of acidity from grapes blends much more easily with the wine accompanying the dish than the acidity of vinegars, lemon and other acidic ingredients.

In the pursuit of the highest quality in winemaking, the potential harvest is radically limited as early as the pruning stage. By repeatedly removing superfluous young grapes, the vine's energy is concentrated solely on the remaining fruit. As a result, by autumn, the harvest is no more than 800 grams per square metre.
Ideally, this restriction of the harvest through green harvesting corresponds to the optimal moment of ripeness for verjus. In early August of an early year (2007), the grapes for the first verjus were harvested for the first time. Until then, these young and precious superfluous grapes were cut and left on the ground at the foot of the vines, with no other use. Now these grapes can be used as a high-quality raw material for the enjoyment of all gourmets.

Source: Adrian Mathier - Nouveau Salquenen SA - CH-3970 Salquenen / VS