Frequently Asked Questions
What is your shipping policy?
Orders will ship within 1-3 business days (though most will go out within 24 hours). If we are expecting especially cold weather, we may contact you about delaying your shipment to avoid risk of freezing in transit. We offer $10 flat rate shipping on all retail orders. Please note: orders of over 20 bottles will trigger our higher 'wholesale shipping rates'. If you are trying to place a large order and not getting the $10 shipping rate please contact us.
Can I visit your vinegary?
We're usually around, but highly recommend you call/email ahead to schedule a visit, as we don't keep regular hours. We are happy to host small or large groups with a tour of our vinegary and a free vinegar tasting. You can also purchase all of our vinegars straight from the source.
What does it mean that your vinegars are 'unfiltered'?
This means they still contain live acetobacter (the little guys that do all the hard work converting alcohol to vinegar for us). We do a very rough filter through cheesecloth to remove any large bits of mother or particulate before bottling, but the acetobacter flow right through that and into the bottle.
What is vinegar 'mother'? -or- What is this stuff in my vinegar?!
'Mother' is simply cellulose that is produced during the conversion of wine to vinegar. It is completely harmless and edible. Because our vinegars are unfiltered (see above) they still contain live acetobacter. Before the bottle is opened, there is a limited oxygen supply so they should be fairly dormant. Once opened, they will start working - and producing small quantities of mother. Keeping the vinegar in the refrigerator after opening will slow this process. However, each culture seems to produce mother at a slightly different rate and occasionally we've had a bottle of vinegar produce a prodigious amount of mother.
My cork broke!
We test each and every cork in hopes of preventing this problem, but will gladly send you a replacement cork. Just shoot us an email. If the cork got stuck in the Emilia, see below:
How do I open and store the Emilia balsamic?
To open, first cut the string. Emilia does not need to be refrigerated after opening. After use, push cork only part of the way back in the bottle. Balsamic makes excellent glue and if you push the cork all the way back in, it might be hard to remove the next time you use it. Because it is so concentrated, occasionally the Emilia will start to form crystals or even partially solidify, similar to how honey crystallizes. If this happens, just place the bottle in warm water until it is liquid again.
Do your vinegars need to be refrigerated?
Our vinegars are indefinitely shelf-stable, even after opened. However, they still contain live acetobacter and will start "working" again once opened (and exposed to oxygen), which may gradually change the flavor profile. For this reason, we recommend storing our wine vinegars in the refrigerator after opening. (No need to store the Emilia balsamic in the refrigerator.)
Is it possible to buy your vinegar locally?
Our vinegars are stocked in many fine shops across the US. Check our list of stockists to see if there is one near you.
Can I order wholesale?
Just contact us via the WHOLESALE page to set up a wholesale account.
Any other problems / questions?
We have a 100% satisfaction and quality guarantee - if you have ANY issues please get in touch and we will do our best to make it right.