This is it! Your chance to get that rarest of gourmet treats. Genuine, 100% organically farmed, handpressed verjus. “What is verjus”, you might ask. Yes, you might well ask, as it is relatively unknown outside of France. Simply, verjus is the unfermented pressed juice of unripe wine grapes. Hence vert-jus or green juice. Traditionally, the French, in vineyards slated to produce fine wine, thin the grape bunches before they have ripened to allow the remaining bunches more of a chance to produce quality grapes. One could just drop the thinned grapes on the ground as compost, but thrifty French farmers have gathered the thinned green grapes, pressed them as they later will the grapes for wine, filtered them and made verjus. Sadly, this custom is seldom seen in New World grape growing regions such as California or Australia. Mainly because we have no need of green thinning. Our warmer temperatures and lack of rain in summer and early fall assures that almost all the bunches mature and ripen with little chance of rot or mildew among crowded bunches. In addition, verjus has an extremely short shelf life. It’ll last six months sealed, but only three months after being opened. So, I repeat, this verjus giveaway is a rare opportunity to get your hands on some.
“But what can I do with it”, you ask? Basically, use it anywhere you would vinegar. But with better results. The French swear by it for making a wine-friendly vinaigrette. The floral taste — somewhere between fresh tart apples and pears — and the gentler acidity keeps it from fighting with wine as harsher vinegar does. Cousin John swears by it to poach eggs and fish. Many chefs like to “brighten” sauces or roasted meats by drizzling lemon juice or something acidic on it. Verjus will work even better. We’re loving it drizzled over fresh tomatoes or to “finish” cooked green beans.
If you want to know more about how our verjus was harvested and produced, I’ve written about it at The Great Verjus Caper and Livin’ La Vida Verjus.

There are a hundred uses for verjus. And you'll have to use them all. Verjus has a very short shelf life.
“Okay”, you say, “I’m hooked. I want to live the Verjus Lifestyle. How do I enter?”
Here’s how it goes. The goal is to corral all of you who comment on my posts on Facebook, Flickr, email or anywhere but on the blog. So the catch is going to be commenting on the blog. Here’s the deal:
1. The contest starts with this post and ends with whatever post is current November 15th.
2. I will assign a number to every comment and use a random number generator to pick the winning number at the end of the contest.
But here’s where it gets fun.
3. Every time you comment, you will get another number — hence another entry. However, only one comment per post gets a number.
4. Every time you steer a new reader to the blog and get them to comment — and mention who sent them — both of you get another entry.
5. If you have been a frequent commenter in the past, you are automatically starting with two entries.
If this contest generates the comments I hope it will, I’ve got Two Terrier products lined up for future contests: Two Terrier Honey, Two Terrier Lavender Oil… Ironically, the only thing I’m hesitant to give away is wine. Since we aren’t yet bonded (which means being square with the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms), I’m not sure if I’m allowed to ship alcohol through the mail. But getting bonded is my winter project, so maybe soon.
On your marks, get set, comment!
There’s nothing better than the chance of getting free stuff to bring this long time lurker out of the shadows. Problem is, I may not make it back this way before Nov 15th for more comments, but that’s okay. It’ll give me a bit of practice for when that honey comes around. 😎
Oooo, verjus! Just what I didn’t know I always wanted! Really! I have actually heard of it, couldn’t tell you where… from someone in my foodie circles. Hoping to have the chance to try it!
p.s. love the new look of your site!
Commenting away! And I’ll see about herding some more left-coasters this way!
whee!!! I feel lucky today! Love this blog, as another east coaster on the west coast…..
Melina
We’d love to try Verjus, especially the Two Terriers brand.
Lisa on Monday when I’m behind the bar I am going to test a verjus Sidecar and a verjus Jasmine. It would replace the lemon juice in both drinks.
Sidecar:
Juice of half a lemon (about 1/2 oz.)
1/4 oz. triple sec
2 oz. cognac
Jasmine
Juice of half a lemon
1/4 oz. triple sec
splash to 1/4 oz. Campari
2 oz. gin
Both are shaken with ice and strained into a chilled cocktail glass.
Pick me, pick me. Would love some Two Terriers verjus. We didn’t venture any farther from San Francisco proper than Muir Woods last week. I sipped a glass of grenache in Poggio’s in Sausalito and thought deep happy to be here thoughts. Then we hopped the ferry back to town.
I also thought about the unable to ship the wine issue. One of my most recent favorite wine movies is Bottle Shock. Didn’t realize the young guy was Captain Kirk until watching a second time, or maybe messing around on google.
Am I a frequent past commenter?? Fingers crossed for some verjus!!!
Heh. Free stuff! You probably couldn’t ship it to me anyways – you sure can’t ship any alcoholic product to Kansas – but thanks for thinking of us all! If I win, I’ll donate my share to Chaz!
I’m in! The only thing cuter than a Terrier is one of those bottles. Great idea, by the way. Thanks!
Christina
Albuquerque NM
Loving the idea of verjus…especially for free
yum! I want to try it! You wrote about it last year didn’t you?
Looks like the contest is off to a fast start. Remember, the best way to get a lot of chances to win is to comment on every post and encourage new readers to comment — and mention that you sent them. Also remember that verjus is NOT ALCOHOLIC. It is the unfermented juice of unripe wine grapes, but otherwise crushed, pressed and filtered as one would white wine. So I can ship it legally to any state.
How could I not comment?!
Eenie, meenie, minie, mo
Which Verjus will the first to go!
I just want a bottle of something in my house with those darling dogs on the label! Pick me, pick me, pick me!!!
And I’m so glad to hear your tomato chutney is improving with age! I had a sneaking suspicion it would.
Hmmm, as Verjus is non alcholic it should not upset this possible gout that I have (more tests tomorrow) Hopefully it’s not gout as we appear to have lot’s of venison that at present I’m not allowed to eat. Maybe Verjus would make an interesting accompaniment to back strap??? I know for sure that it will go well with a nice fillet of fresh salmon that our local rivers are stuffed full of at present.
Tony, fingers crossed for your tests. Cousin John has confirmed that verjus is an excellent poaching medium for fish. Or you could just drizzle it over grilled fish to “freshen up” the taste.
Hey Lisa, being a 2T.R. staffer or employ am I not eligible? Sher and I both loved the last bottle you gave us .
FYI Posted link on FB with requests that people say I sent them. On to the next blog post.
Dear Lisa, Beloved Boffin and all creatures pink, white or otherwise…love reading the blog…cannot believe another year has passed and we’re harvesting again! I say “we” because your brilliant writing and keen eye for a great story always make it feel like I’m right there with you (minus the aching back and muscles!). You’ve made me want to try so many new things, and I’ve been inspired by your work to take my entire suburban lawn, flowers, trees, plants and fruit -bearing trees–oranges, ruby red grapefruit and key limes completely organic since last year. Also trying to replace as much grass as possible with native plants that are fraught tolerant. We get some serious jucin’ done here when my citrus comes in. Only thing better than a pulp-filled glass of ice cold OJ fresh off the tree might be some of your food products. Would love to try the V on the fish I catch right off the back yard dock…great contest!!!
hot dang! I’m starting with two comments 😀 😀
Coincidence that verjus was in the NY Times Oct. 27? I saved the recipes and was looking for a place to get it when I happened upon this site.
I just read the NYT online article – I subscribe by email and finally had time to catch up. If you haven’t read it, here is the link: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/27/dining/27power.html?_r=1&th&emc=th
Hope you don’t have to log in (or hope you already have one), if you do and don’t want to register shoot me an email and I’ll invite you to read the article. Couldn’t find an email addy on your site.
I do have a subscription and had read the article. So, I’m so faaaar ahead of the trends if it’s taken the NYT this long after my pressing to write an article.