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LIFE WITH VERJUS. What was life like before?
TERRA SONOMA believes in enjoying food and life. They produce estate grown VerJus from their vineyards in Sonoma County. Their VERJUS is made with a New World taste while maintaining the Old World traditions.

VerJus is a natural flavor enhancer adding depth and richness to cooking. Whether in salads, marinades, braising and sauce making - the difference is delightful. VerJus also pairs beautifully with wine enhancing the balance of flavors on your plate.

The word VerJus is a French word literally meaning “green juice”. It is the unfermented juice of semi-ripe grapes from the thinning of wine grapes. Crop thinning is a viticultural practice designed to improve wine quality by encouraging fruit ripening. Crop thinning is always carried out by hand in the Terra Sonoma vineyard. The thinned fruit is high in acid and low in sugar.

Grapes have been used for cooking for thousands of years, as wine, vinegar and VerJus. During our research we found VerJus to be popular in Medieval times, but VerJus can be dated back to as far as 71 A.D. Roman cooking included three different types of grape juice; fresh pressed grape juice concentrated by cooking it down to a syrup which later evolved into balsamic vinegar; fermented juice or wine; and unfermented juice, verjus. VerJus is by all means tart but does not coat the palate like vinegar. Vinegar has acetic acid, formed during fermentation, which is why it clashes with wines. VerJus shares the same acid base as wine - tartaric and malic acids - therefore complimenting each other.

For centuries, VerJus has always been a staple of wine growing regions. The French, Italians and Australians have been making VerJus for many years to compliment their recipes.

VERJUS FACTS
APPEARANCE
Light green-yellow

AROMA
Slightly floral essence of tropical fruits

FLAVOR
Crisp green apple with a sweetly focused acidity

QUALITY
Estate grown and all hand-produced

HARVEST
Terra Sonoma hand harvests all of the fruit in the early morning to hold the freshness and varietal character until crushed immediately following. Harvest begins in late August - but this varies every year depending on the weather and specific varietal of winegrape. They then destem and crush the fruit. Next they gently press the grapes extracting the juice which goes directly into stainless tanks. This VerJus is a beautiful yellow-green color with a slightly floral nose. As the juice does not ferment nor have any skin contact, the juice is not pink or red. Red wine varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon are red only because the skins have been in direct contact with the grapejuice for 14 to 60 days. Next they bottle the juice after 2 weeks once it has settled from pressing.

Recipes:
Items in bold are available at Vincenzo’s

VerJus Sparkling Spritzer
1/4 Cup Terra Sonoma VerJus
Sparkling Water
Crushed Ice
Pour ingredients together into a chilled glass. Stir and serve. Garnish with a fresh sprig of mint.

Spring Greens with Strawberries, Goat Cheese and VerJus Vinaigrette
Serves 4
6 cups mixed spring greens
1/4 cup red onion - thinly sliced
1/2 pound strawberries - washed and sliced
1/4 cup sliced almonds - toasted
1/4 cup goat cheese - crumbled
1/8 cup fresh basil - chopped (optional)

Vinaigriette
2 Tbsp Terra Sonoma VerJus
1 Tbsp sherry vinager - or balsamic
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Place the greens, red onion, strawberries and basil if using in a large bowl. Set the almonds and goat cheese aside.

In a small bowl, whish together the Terra Sonoma VerJus and sherry vinegar. Drizzle in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Toss the salad just before serving with the dressing. Sprinkle with the almonds and goat cheese. Add freshly ground pepper, if desired.

Wine Country VerJus Marinade
Terra Sonoma VerJus
soy sauce - splash
freshly ground pepper
sesame seed oil - a few drops
garlic -chopped finely
sea salt to taste

Experiment with these ingredients. Amounts vary by taste. Try with your favorite meats - pork and beef - and even dark flesh fish. Refrigerate the meat for 2-4 hours prior to barbequing or searing.



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