Apple cider vinegar with honey

Apple Cider Vinegar with Honey from the last vinegar master of Orléans

The Apple Cider Vinegar with Honey from Martin-Pouret is a French cider vinegar made from Norman apples, refined with creamy honey from the Gâtinais region. Not a harsh industrial vinegar, but a mild fruit vinegar in which sweet fruit and soft acidity strike a balance.

Apple Cider Vinegar with Honey is called Vinaigre Cidre et Miel du Gâtinais at Martin-Pouret and is a cider vinegar from the French city of Orléans. It is made from the cider of Norman apples, and ten percent mild forest honey from the Gâtinais gives it its unique profile. This keeps the apple cider vinegar fruity instead of sharp, and soft instead of pungent.

Even its aroma carries notes of ripe apple and warm honey, and the palate reveals the fine signature of the house: sweet fruit and gentle acidity hand in hand. Fruity, soft, mild – a vinegar that flatters rather than stings.

Fruity, soft, with warm honey sweetness

The cider vinegar has a completely natural aroma of apple and honey and tastes rounder than a classic wine vinegar. The ten percent Gâtinais honey captures the malic acid and brings it into a harmonious, almost creamy balance.

The honey comes from the Gâtinais, a region south of Paris where wildflowers, heather, acacia, and chestnuts bloom. Since 1999, the approximately 76,000-hectare plain has been protected as a nature park. From there comes the creamy, mildly floral honey that gives the apple cider vinegar its special gentleness – a terroir in a glass that you can truly taste.

In summer salads, with poultry, in light sauces

This apple cider vinegar loves fresh, summery dishes: colorful leaf salads, chicken salad, and light sauces to which it adds a fruity acidity. Vegetable soups and meat marinades also gain a fine sweet-and-sour note that never becomes overpowering. A dash in the salad bowl, a spoonful in a roast gravy – this is how it best shows its mild, fruity nature.

In a vinaigrette with the Honey Mustard with Chardonnay from the same house, it is at its best – honey meets honey, and the two get along famously. And for those who like, add a splash over apple pie or stir it with sparkling water and a dash of crémant for a refreshing spritzer. It also has its place wherever lemon would otherwise be used.

The last vinegar master of Orléans since 1797

Orléans was once the vinegar capital of France. Around 1810, there were about 400 vinegar makers in the city on the Loire; a royal decree had already ennobled the vinegars and mustards of Orléans centuries earlier. Today, only one of these many houses remains: Maison Martin-Pouret.

Since 1797, wine vinegar has been aged here according to the slow méthode d'Orléans in the open air and in oak barrels – for vinegar, this is the equivalent of traditional bottle fermentation for sparkling wine. In 2019, David Matheron and Paul-Olivier Claudepierre took over the house, two young minds with a sense for old craftsmanship, and they continue this heritage with visible pride – alongside vinegars, they also produce cornichons and mustard and vinegar from Martin-Pouret.

If you would like to taste your way through the house, you will also find our mild Rosé Wine Vinegar – a second one that tends to flatter rather than sting. It is remarkable how vibrant a tradition over 200 years old can taste.

In summer, also as a spritzer with sparkling water

The Apple Cider Vinegar with Honey should be used sparingly – one to two teaspoons are enough for a vinaigrette, as its sweetness goes a long way. A reliable companion for leaf salads, poultry, or steamed vegetables, and in summer, it also makes a great spritzer with cold sparkling water. Once opened, stored in a cool and dark place, it remains aromatic for a long time – a little bottle that will accompany you through many salads.