Hauszwetschke, not plum. The difference lies in the taste, not the name. The Hauszwetschke is smaller, firmer, and significantly tarter than what is usually sold as a plum in stores. It grows in local orchards, ripens late in the year, and provides exactly the tannins that give a fruit vinegar structure, rather than leaving it merely sweet. We wait until it is truly ripe, because that deep aroma only develops then, and an early-harvested plum remains bland in fruit vinegar, no matter how long it sits in the tank afterwards. After a year in a stainless-steel tank, we have a lively, delicate-tart acidity, accompanied by full plum flavor and a dark depth of fruit. Nothing is added, not even sugar. What tastes sweet comes from the fruit. Delicate yet expressive. Variety born of boredom.
