Balsamic Vinegar

     Traditional Balsamic Vinegar is like fine wine.  Its quality and rareness make it a coveted delicacy. Aged for 12 to 25 years in changing casks of oak, mulberry, chestnut, cherry, juniper, ash and acacia, it becomes progressively sweeter, more full-bodied, and richer in fragrance. At its perfection, it is a thick, sweet, raisin-colored elixir with a penetrating and persistent perfume, bouquet typical of the woods used in its aging, and a flavor that is a harmonious blend of sweet and sour. It heightens the flavors of every dish, from the most simple of salads to the most refined pastas and meats, and is suitable for serving with the finest meals and occasions.

    True balsamic vinegar is only produced in two regions of Emilia-Romagna in Italy: Modena and Reggio.  The process of making balsamic vinegar goes back over 1,000 years.  Balsamic vinegar was originally used medicinally to cure illnesses such as colds and the flu.   "Balsamic" derives from the word "balm," which refers to a salve, a healing oil or ointment.  Later it became an after dinner drink and flavoring for cooked meats and fresh fruits.

     Balsamic vinegar is made from non-fermented grape juice, unlike wine vinegar.  Wine vinegar is made by converting alcohol to acid. Balsamic is made by converting sugar to acid.

     Balsamic begins with the picking of fully ripe grapes, particularly the white Trebbiano grape.  Other grapes used are Spergola, Berzemino, and Occhio di Gatto.  The grapes are crushed and the juice ("must") is boiled down into a sweet concentrate.  The juice is then aged in a series of antique barrels, each made of a different precious wood, such as oak, chestnut, cherrywood, juniper, ash, and mulberry.  The barrels are located in the artisan's attic.

     The juice is first put in the largest barrel, made of, for instance, oak.  The barrel has holes in its top to promote evaporation which concentrates the flavors. After 6 months to a year, the vinegar is moved to another smaller barrel made of a different wood, such as chestnut.  The process continues with different wood barrels, each smaller.  The old wood and different varieties of wood give the vinegar its unique flavor.  The wood from the barrels is never thrown away; it is used even when reduced to pieces, because the seasoned character of the wood is crucial to the flavor.

     The taste of balsamic vinegar varies due to the grapes, the woods, age of the barrels, order of aging, length of aging, and whether a "mother" (bacterial substance that turns sugars to acetic acid) is used to inoculate the grape juice.  An artisan will produce vinegars with very different tastes by using a different process in their aging.

     There are two kinds of balsamic: tradizionale and condimento.   The tradizionale must be aged for at least 12 years.  A good condimento is aged from two to four years.  Furthermore, the tradizionale must be made without addition of wine vinegar and caramel color.  Condimento allows both. In addition, the tradizionale must be taken in the barrel to the region's consortium of expert tasters to be accepted or rejected, and if accepted, rated and awarded a seal.  If accepted, the consortium, not the artisan producing it, bottles the vinegar.

     Tradizionale is very expensive.  It is not used in cooking.  It is sipped as an after dinner liqueur and a few drops are put on cooked meats and seafood, and fresh fruits.  The condimento is used in cooking and marinades, salad dressing with olive oil, potato and bean salad, stir fried vegetables, to top cooked meats and seafood, and fresh fruits.

     You can find these extraordinary liquids on our Vinegar Page.