How it's made: Our Balsamic Vinegar is made from hand-picked grapes from Modena, which are cooked into a grape-must, and aged in wooden barrels of decreasing sizes. Wine vinegar is carefully added at the end to produce a high-quality "everyday" Balsamic Vinegar.
Barreling, aging, and finishing: The balsamico that is in this balsamic vinegar goes through a process of aging in a series of wooden barrels called a "batteria", which decrease in size. The grape-must starts out in the first and largest barrel. Each year, 20% of the product evaporates, making the balsamico increasingly dense. One a year, some of product from the smallest barrel is bottled. This barrel is filled up with aceto from the second-smallest barrel. The second-smallest is filled with aceto from the third. In this way, the aceto spends one year in each barrel, and mixes with the aceto that lingers from the year before. The careful addition of Wine Vinegar at the final stages allows it to take on a stronger acidic flavor, while keeping its density high.
Taste: Flavors reminiscent of plums, wood, and a wonderful acidity, make it a valuable flavor enhancer in any preparation. It has the "agrodolce", or sweet-sour flavor, that is the hallmark of high quality Balsamic Vinegar. This product is as thick as maple syrup.
IGP Certification: This certification is given by the Consorzio Aceto Balsamico di Modena. This certifies that this balsamico is made using ingredients, processes, and characteristics that can be traced back to the geographical region of Modena. It requires an acidity level of at least 6% and a minimum of 3 years of aging in wooden barrels.
Uses: Combine with high quality olive oil, sea salt and pepper for a simple salad dressing. Pair with olive oil to eat with warm bread. Drizzle onto ripe tomatoes, fresh figs, or baked apples. Use in marinades.
The bottle and package: The bottle is 250mL or 8.45 oz. It also has a small pouring spout insert so that none of the product is wasted.
