4-6 Person Caviar Flight

History

Black River Caviar (aka Esturiones del Rio Negro) launched thirty years ago when Walter Alcalde pursued his dream of farming Russian Oscietra sturgeon in Uruguay’s Río Negro River to become the first Southern Hemisphere caviar producer in the world.

Walter’s business was provisioning Atlantic fishing boats on the Rio Negro. Working closely with the fishing industry over many years, he got to know a few Russian sailors, who introduced him to caviar.

Walter saw an opportunity in the 1980s, when global caviar production shifted from wild-caught to farmed caviar because of overfishing in the Caspian Sea: He would bring sturgeon farming to the Rio Negro. He dove into consulting and researching, finally he determined that the river’s average low water temperatures, high volumes of pristine water unaffected by industry, and the Rio Negro’s moderate climate offered the exceptional natural conditions needed for sturgeon aquaculture.

From the beginning, Black River implemented sustainable farming practices respecting the natural environment and leaving zero waste. The farm maintains the breeding program Walter started with authentic Russian Oscietra (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii) breed stock originating from the Caspian Sea, and producing the fish feed made from largely local, sustainable sources.

Black River Caviar

Black River Caviar varies naturally in size and color. The grading reflects this natural range in color from dark brown (Tradition grade) to lighter brown with larger egg size (Royale grade), to an even lighter brown and larger eggs (Imperial grade).

We also produce a small portion of Master Selection caviar, which is amber in color. This exquisite Master Selection caviar is extremely rare - only about 1% of our total production - but is extremely flavorful and delicious!

The production quantity of each grade varies each year. The focus is on perfection and quality at each grade, and the grading is continually refined so that customers know what to expect.

The caviar is pure, clean, delicate and fresh, with warm, savory flavors reminiscent of walnuts and hazelnuts, possessing a wonderfully creamy finish that lingers on your palate. We are confident that each and every year our caviar will be intensely rich and offer complex flavors that reflect Black River Caviar's distinct, and historic, provenance and purity.