In this small boutique tucked away on a typical street of the Vieux Banyuls neighborhood, you’ll find the crème de la crème of French vinegar. These treasures have been aged in oak barrels then decanted into big glass demijohns for oven 20 years by Nathalie Lefort, at the last remaining outdoor artisanal vinegar factory in the country. Her nectars are then bottled and sealed with wax, destined to be savored like fine wine: drizzle some red wine vinegar on a crisp salad, a white wine vinegar on a platter of shellfish, an aged vinegar to deglaze duck breast, a vermeil vinegar to pour into a pot-au-feu, a Muscat vinegar to pair with a bowl of stone fruit, a saffron-infused vinegar to take your shellfish rice to the next level…. And the house also boasts some impressive collaborations with winemakers, transforming Chenin (produced by the Joussets), Riesling (produced by Christian Binner) or even Cabernet (from the Domaine Mendall) into exceptional vinegars. // Mado Réassouet
Hidden gem: Lalie, a thick cream flavored with a sweet Banyuls reduction, which pairs marvelously well with a very good quality Manchego cheese, foie gras or vanilla ice cream (€15 for 100 ml).
