Curiocity: Vinaigrette Brings Olive Oils, Vinegars To Mpls.

An added bonus to being able to warm a new home with friends and family is the lovely and oh-so-thoughtful gifts that help stock the shelves in your somewhat barren cupboards.

Among the generous gifts of wine and adorable kitchen trinkets, there was one gift that opened up a completely new world for me. Two simple bottles, labeled with a silver permanent pen, held endless possibilities -- they contained custom, flavored olive oils and vinegars.

I could be completely late to the game but I had never heard of such a thing. Flavored olive oil from Italy or Greece, tapped right here in Minneapolis? Where had I been?

Apparently, I missed the boat when an adorable south Minneapolis store and tasting center, Vinaigrette, opened to the public in 2009. Squeezed next to a coffee shop, near the corner of 50th Street and Xerxes Avenue, this place is truly unique.

Upon stepping into the simple shop, you're greeted by tables holding silver, airtight containers, each labeled and ready to be tapped. To your left, the flavored olive oils -- and to the right, you'll find some of the most unique vinegars containing ingredients you never thought possible.

The shop is run by Richard and Sarah Piepenburg, two people with a passion for food and cooking that found themselves in a position to share something new with the Twin Cities. When the economy took a turn for the worse, the Piepenburgs saw it as an opportunity to start fresh.

"I think we both just had that entrepreneurial spirit, the economy was horrible, and I was on the road all the time. I had taken a job as a regional sales rep for a produce company covering eight states and Sarah was back in Minneapolis. We were doing fine but I was away from my young kids all the time and we just said, if we're going to work hard and we're going to struggle through this, let's just start our own business and invest in ourselves," he said.

After a visit to a similar store in Chicago that sold infused olive oils and vinegars, the pair -- who had backgrounds in food, and business -- thought, wouldn't this be great in Minneapolis? And like that, Vinaigrette was born.

Though, in a way, it was a long time coming.

Richard and Sarah were living in Northern California when they first got married, where Richard was working for a brokerage company that represented food manufacturers, including ones that sold olive oils and vinegars.

Meanwhile, Sarah was working for a company based out of Minneapolis, but in the San Francisco branch. The corporation would often visit wine country to check out wineries that were growing olives and producing their own olive oils and wine vinegars.

"We kind of had it in the back of our minds, but not until we moved back to Minnesota ... did we say, let's do a business together," Richard said.

They found a six-family co-op in Italy where they decided to get most of their product. And found a bright, cozy space in Minneapolis, where customers could come in and sample inventive combinations and concoctions -- all while chatting with the owners to learn everything about Vinaigrette.

I brought my mother on my first visit and had to admit, there was a similar "kid in a candy shop"-type feeling. The ideas and recipes kept circulating in my head, as I tasted the flavor notes of an olive oil here and the tang of vinegar there.

The 18-year-aged balsamic vinegar was easily the best, and obviously one that had plenty of popularity. Richard explained it's among their best sellers, which didn't surprise me at all after one sample.

A balsamic with pear was both surprising and fruity, while the golden balsamic vinegar was a perfect everyday balsamic, with a bit milder and less sweet taste.

The basil olive oil was incredible and though a bit pungent for my taste, I could see endless possibilities with the garlic-infused oil. In the housewarming gift, I received the porcini mushroom olive oil that was perfect for risotto and added a great woodsy taste to traditional stroganoff.

It's true -- after one visit (OK, maybe two in one week), I became an oil snob. Using fused extra virgin olive oils will change your outlook on cooking. It can open your eyes to new flavors, different inspirations and yes, it may make you look at your old, grocery store EVOO as a bit boring. It's like, why use water when you could use chicken broth, right?

Richard said he's heard of people using the flavored oils in thai sauces, balsamic vinegar used in desserts, chocolate balsamic used in salad dressings and even garlic olive oil with raspberries.

"So an herb with a fruit, but once we tried it, it was just like, to the other customers that came in, 'You gotta try this,'" he said, adding that a lot of their ideas come from the customer base.

Even talking with Richard and Sarah, you'll see the passion they have for their product, which is totally contagious. They hope to continue to grow their product, bringing in other items that will extenuate the olive oils and vinegars, different flavors and maybe even some local honey. Plus, they're getting set for the holiday season with creative gift baskets.

While I'll never complain with the gift of wine, the gift of something new, something a little surprising, is always fun, especially for the cooks in your circle.

Vinaigrette is located at 5006 Xerxes Ave. S. in Minneapolis. For hours, information, recipes and to order online, check out their website.