Secret Ingredients 101: Local Grapeseed Oil

While dining at a wondrous little cafe/wine bar in Prosser, Wine o'Clock, I noticed that their salads tasted lush and deep, despite having the mildest of dressings.  The other dishes we ordered also had this strange and wonderful presence, a sort of essence of themselves, unencumbered by strong flavors.  

I decided the secret must be grapeseed oil.  It had to be something that I obviously wasn't using at home!  Then I remembered that there were two bottles of Apres Vin oil tucked into my fridge door--Roasted Garlic Chardonnay and Cabernet--that I had purchased at last year's Richland Farmers' Market and had forgotten about.  Since my discovery, I've been using my Apres Vin grapeseed oils for salad dressing and roasting.  It works beautifully. 

For salads, tossing simple greens with plain Cabernet grapeseed oil imparts a subtle wine flavor and actually brings out the flavor of the greens.  You don't need vinegar.  You don't need garlic.  You don't even need salt.  Yes, it has taken me this long to realize that good salad greens actually have flavor to bring out!  This oil is very light ... you only need a little.

The Roasted Garlic Chardonnay oil has the subtlest hint of wine and garlic flavor, excellent for most anything you'd use olive oil for, even dipping bread.

Apres Vin makes several flavors of grapeseed oil.  Take a look at these flavors and combinations Apres Vin offers.  Their site also describes the nutritional value of grapeseed oil. It's not cheap, but you can use it sparingly.  A great addition to any kitchen where fresh, local foods are prepared!  And Apres Vin itself is local ... they're located in Prosser.