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South African Consulate General: Rozendal Hibiscus Vinegar

Outstanding New Product
sofi Gold Winner 2010

In the late 1990s Kurt Ammann, owner of Rozendal Farm, an organic and biodynamic wine farm in Stellenbosch, South Africa, ventured into the vinegar business. “A Swiss man named Rolf Saxer came to me looking for red wine made without sulfur. He told me about the healing potential of certain vinegars and taught me the intricacies of how to make it. It’s a process of two to three years, after which various herbs and plants are individually macerated in the vinegar in separate barrels for another two to five years,” he recalls.

Ammann began to produce raw vinegar, and by 2001 was drinking it and measuring his pH levels. “I did this to get to know how my body was affected by different emotional, mental and physical states and by the ingested raw vinegar,” he explains. Ammann believes that raw vinegar is one of the best pH balancers, with the added benefits that come from the macerated herbs.

Ammann introduced three vinegars to the U.S. five years ago (Green Tea, Lavender and Fynbos—a mix of wild plants and herbs such as South African Cape native buchu, honeybush tea, rose geranium, wild olive and wild rosemary). Hibiscus, the newest creation by his daughter, Nathalie, is a mix of rosehip, elderflower and vanilla and is aged for 12 years in oak barrels. The Hibiscus vinegar is made from a Bordeaux blend that consists of Merlot and Cabernet grape cultivars, and contains no additives or preservatives. It can be drunk by itself or used to dress salads or deglaze meats or fish.

Because it is a living product, it has an unlimited shelf life and, according to Ammann, the flavors improve with time. Rozendal Farms ships direct to retailers—6 bottles/case.
—N. Denis

More About the Product

Rozendal’s handcrafted, artisanal Hibiscus vinegar is matured in oak barrels for 12 years. The vinegar is not flavored; instead organic herbs are macerated in the vinegar with the “mother.” This is a 100 percent natural product with no additives or preservatives in classic and beautiful packaging.

Suggested retail price:
$19.95-$23.95/375 ml (12.68 ounces).

Contact:
Maria Alo-Villareal, South African Consulate General, 212.692.2455