AGRAZ is non-alcoholic sharp grape juice, that also comes from our País vines. We do a light pruning earlier in the summer when the grapes are green and sour, by cutting away some grapes at this stage it helps the grapes remaining on the vines to ripen nicely into a red colour as they have good exposure to the sun, and circulation of warm summer air throughout the vines. Instead of putting these green grapes on the compost heap we put them in our traditional basket press, collect the juice, then to maintain the live fermentation we only very lightly pasteurise the raw juice before bottling.
AGRAZ means ‘sour’ in Spanish, it is akin to verjus which is French for ‘green juice’ if you’ve come across that before. This juice of unripe grapes has so many culinary uses, from marinades, to soups, the grill, delicate desserts and hearty puds to name just a few. A great simple way to start using it in the kitchen is every time you reach for the vinegar or fresh lemon juice use AGRAZ instead. In cooking terms these sour ingredients are what are known as an acidulants, which give a sour flavour (often referred to as sharpness or bite) to foods and drinks. Of all acidulants, AGRAZ is the most gentle and well rounded, it lifts the brightness and flavour of food without dominating, making food taste fresh and alive. As you can imagine it is the perfect ingredient to add into many drinks and cocktails. It is also wine friendly, which is good if matching wine to food is important to you. Visit our journal for AGRAZ recipes.
