Get to know us
Vinaigrerie
Artisanale
St. Eugène
Ian Ruckreigel and Jeff Turner, the founders of Vinaigrerie Artisanale St. Eugene (VASE) met in 2024 when Ian and his family moved into the small, rural town of St. Eugene, Ontario. Ian, a culinary artist, was attracted to the rich, local permaculture, organic fruit and berry growing scene and the promise of transforming these into premium quality foods and beverages. Jeff is a passionate apple guy and retired entrepreneur looking for a way to “bottle and share the taste and flavours of his heritage cider apple orchard”.
Apple cider production – an obvious choice – was challenging due to Canadian excise taxation and apple sauce was – well just too boring. So these two pioneers decided to make vinegar … but not just any vinegar! They wanted to make a fruit-forward vinegar that reflected the unique taste of fruit grown here in Eastern Ontario. Using Jeff’s snappy, tart cider apples, Ian crafted a vinegar using a traditional double fermentation process. Our vinegar features a smooth, robust flavour with a rich tannic finish, perfect for your next vinaigrette or on your favourite veggies with a pinch of salt.
Some partnerships just work, like Ian and Jeff.
Ian Ruckriegel
Vinegar Maker
Ian Ruckriegel, a native of the United States who relocated to Ontario in 2024, brings a diverse culinary background to his craft. Raised in a military family, he traveled extensively across North America, experiencing the rich tapestry of regional cuisines from California's Central Valley to the vibrant flavours of New Orleans.
A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and the University of New Orleans, Ian honed his skills in fine dining establishments and cultivated a deep respect for the dedication of farmers through his work on small farms. This hands-on experience instilled in him a passion for utilizing the freshest, most authentic ingredients.
Driven by a fascination with fermentation and food preservation, Ian is helping to rediscover the lost art of vinegar making. He believes this ancient craft offers an unparalleled way to capture and preserve the unique terroir of a place.
"He who dies with the biggest pantry wins."
- Old Chef's Proverb
Jeff Turner
Ph.D.; Apple grower & cider maker
Jeff Turner discovered his deep passion for apple growing as a youth working in orchards in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia. Following a career as a professor at McGill University’s faculty of Agriculture & Environmental Science and then as an entrepreneur-scientist in the biotechnology industry, Turner retired to a permaculture farm near St. Eugène, in Eastern Ontario. He has focused on expanding the orchard and cider making facilities.
He is a graduate of the Cider Institute of North America’s Foundation Certificate in Cider and Perry Production (Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute, Brock University) and is a Certified Food Handler (Can. Institute Food Safety). Turner contends that making great vinegar starts with understanding the biology, biochemistry AND the art of growing apples and cider fermentation.
