At Napa Valley Naturals®, we believe that great tasting, high quality vinegar should be accessible to everyone. That’s why we’re dedicated to producing the finest artisan vinegars while keeping our prices affordable.
Our journey began over 20 years ago when our founder, John Smith, inherited his family’s small vineyard in Napa Valley, California. As a third generation grape grower, John understood the hard work and care that went into producing quality wine grapes. He also appreciated the traditional, Old World methods behind crafting aged balsamic vinegar and Spanish sherry vinegars.
John decided to dedicate a portion of the vineyard to growing Italian and Spanish grape varietals that would be ideal for making aged vinegar. He worked closely with local winemakers to perfect the grape growing and winemaking process. Once the wines were ready, John began experimenting with vinegar fermentation and aging techniques in his garage turned “vinegar lab.”
After years of trial and error, John finally achieved the complex flavor profiles and velvety textures he was seeking. He started sharing samples of his vinegars with family and friends, who couldn’t get enough of these gourmet vinegars and insisted he sell them commercially.
In 2005, John officially launched Napa Valley Naturals® and began bottling his vinegars for retail sale. As demand grew, he expanded distribution across the United States so food lovers everywhere could experience the quality and craftsmanship of his small-batch vinegars.
Keeping Quality Our Focus
As Napa Valley Naturals® has grown over the years, we’ve stayed true to John’s original pursuit of quality above all else. We use time-honored, artisanal methods for producing our vinegars that ensure unparalleled flavor and consistency.
Traditional Barrel Aging
Our balsamic and sherry vinegars are aged in barrels made from premium woods like oak, chestnut, mulberry, and juniper. We employ the traditional Solera system, where younger vinegars are blended into barrels containing older vinegars. This allows the vinegars to mature gracefully while the blend remains balanced. Our vinegars are aged for years, even decades for our rare reserves, to develop rich, complex flavor notes.
Grape Varietals
We use Italian Trebbiano and Lambrusco grapes as well as Spanish Palomino grapes grown in our Napa Valley vineyard to make our vinegars. These varietals are ideal for producing fruity, well-balanced vinegars. We also source grapes from trusted vineyards in Modena, Italy and Jerez, Spain.
Barrel Production
Our vinegar barrels are carefully handcrafted by local artisans. We use woods that impart subtle flavors and aromas to complement (not overwhelm) the grape essence. Our barrels are properly seasoned and toasted to extract maximal flavor during aging.
Natural Fermentation
We rely on native yeasts and bacterias to ferment our vinegars slowly and naturally. This traditional approach takes more time but extracts more flavor complexity than rapid, industrial methods. We don’t use any artificial shortcuts.
Unfiltered & Unpasteurized
Our vinegars are unfiltered and unpasteurized to preserve the subtle nuances that develop during aging. Without filtering or high heat pasteurization, our vinegars retain all their natural flavors, aromas, and textures.
Small-Batch Production
At Napa Valley Naturals®, we employ time-honored techniques handed down over generations of vinegar makers in Italy and Spain. Although our production process is slower and more labor intensive, we believe it’s the best way to achieve superior quality vinegars.
We make our vinegars in limited quantities to ensure we can closely monitor each batch from start to finish. Our hands-on approach allows us to make any adjustments necessary to account for slight variations in the grapes or wood barrels. Small-batch production also enables us to be nimble and explore new vinegar varieties or aging techniques.
Our focus will always be on quality over quantity. We may expand capacity to meet demand but never at the expense of our vinegars’ integrity. We feel fortunate to produce our vinegars in Napa Valley, where space constraints make large-scale production impractical anyway. We have no interest in shortcuts or mass production.
Napa Valley Naturals® promises to remain committed to small-batch, artisanal production. You can count on every bottle of vinegar bearing our name to be of the highest quality and craftsmanship.
Our Signature Vinegars
The vineyards and cellars of Napa Valley Naturals® produce a range of traditional aged balsamic and sherry vinegars. Our founder John Smith perfected these recipes over many years and we faithfully continue using his time-tested processes today.
Balsamic Vinegar
Balsamic vinegar has been produced for centuries in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy. It’s made from local Italian grapes, traditionally Lambrusco or Trebbiano, that are cooked down into a syrup-like must. The must is then aged in a succession of wooden barrels, evaporating and concentrating in flavor over many years. Balsamic vinegar emerges with a glossy dark brown hue and a rich, sweet-tart flavor prized by chefs and home cooks.
Our aged balsamic vinegars range from 3 years up to 100 years for our extra rare century casks. Our signature balsamic offers a harmonious blend of sweet and tangy flavors with notes of fruit, spice, and oak from the barrel aging. It’s the product of John’s lifelong balsamic obsession and we think you’ll agree it’s his masterpiece.
Sherry Vinegar
Sherry vinegar hails from sun-drenched Andalusia in southern Spain. It’s produced primarily from Palomino grapes grown in the Jerez region, where sherry wine originates. Sherry wine undergoes a solera aging process in wooden barrels before a portion is drawn off and inoculated with vinegar bacteria to spur acetic fermentation.
Our aged sherry vinegars range from 3 years for our Silver Label to up to 50 years for our ultra-rare Solera Reserva. Our signature vinegar offers a rich blend of nutty, caramel flavors mellowed by the oak barrels with a subtle sweetness underneath. It’s incredibly versatile in cooking and vinaigrettes.
Wine Vinegar
In addition to our aged vinegars, we craft wine vinegars from our estate-grown Chardonnay, Merlot, and other Napa Valley grapes. After fermenting the grapes into wine, we inoculate a portion of the wine to convert the alcohol into acetic acid through a submerged vinegar fermentation.
Our wine vinegars offer bright, fruity flavors that highlight the varietal. They range from mellow rice wine vinegars like our unseasoned Champagne Vinegar to robust red wine vinegars like our bold Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Vinegar. Their sharp acidity and clean flavor make wine vinegars an essential for cooking, pickling, and vinaigrettes.
Balsamic Glazes
To complement our line of aged balsamic vinegars, we also produce thick, syrupy glazes that have become a staple in fine restaurant kitchens. Our Chocolate Balsamic Glaze combines our signature balsamic with Belgian chocolate and premium cocoa powder for a decadent sweet-tart topping.
Our Classic Balsamic Glaze slow-simmers our 8-year-aged balsamic vinegar until it’s ultra thick and concentrated. It adds a rich sweetness and body to pan sauces, salad dressings, fruit desserts, and more. The possibilities are endless with our balsamic glazes.
How to Use Our Vinegars
Balsamic, sherry, and wine vinegars are extremely versatile kitchen staples suitable for far more than just salad dressings. Here are some of our favorite ways to use our gourmet vinegars:
- Drizzle our aged balsamic vinegars over fresh seasonal fruits like strawberries, peaches, or pears. The sweet, tangy vinegar enhances the natural fruit flavors.
- Use our sherry vinegar to deglaze cooking pans, add incredible flavor to sauces, braises, and pan gravies.
- Brighten rich soups like lentil, squash, or tomato soup with a dash of wine vinegar right before serving.
- Whisk our balsamic glazes into oil and vinegar for an easy salad dressing with body. Glaze over grilled or roasted vegetables too.
- Make next-level bruschetta by brushing our aged balsamic over toasted bread before topping with tomatoes, basil, and olive oil.
- Pickle seasonal veggies like carrots, cucumbers, onions, or cauliflower with our wine vinegars. They’ll add extra flavor dimension to the brine.
- Marinate meats like chicken, beef, or pork in our sherry vinegar or wine vinegars for super tender and flavorful results. The acid helps break down proteins.
- Drizzle our 8-year balsamic over vanilla gelato, fresh strawberries, or chocolate desserts for an easy upgrade.
The possibilities are truly endless with our wide range of artisanal vinegars. Their complex flavor and bright acidity make them endlessly versatile in both sweet and savory cooking applications.
Bringing Napa to Your Table
At Napa Valley Naturals®, our mission is to connect food lovers everywhere with the incomparable flavor and craftsmanship of Napa Valley vinegars. We’re devoted to upholding time-honored traditions and never cutting corners when it comes to quality.
We hope you’ll taste the passion and care that goes into producing each of our small-batch, artisanal vinegars, from the vineyards of Napa Valley to your kitchen table. Let us transport you to the lush vineyards, cellars, and olive groves of California wine country with every sip.
If you have any other questions about our story, production methods, or products, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’d love to hear from you!