Giovannella Stianti, the proprietor of Castello di Volpaia, is the proud holder of the first license to produce vinegar in Siena. By law, she must maintain her acetaia no less than one kilometer from her nearest wine cellar to protect the wines from the fermenting acid of the vinegar.
To make a superior vinegar, the wines are selected for their aromatic qualities, and are then percolated through grape vine cuttings (called "trucioli"), transforming the natural alcohols of the wine into the acetic acid of vinegar while maintaining the wine's complex bouquet. The resulting vinegars are exceptionally round, intensely aromatic, and have a richness that enhances many foods from salads to meats, from greens to mangoes. Everyone who uses these vinegars falls in love with them.
