Balsamic Vinegar — A Buyers Guide

Originating from the Modena and Reggio-Emilia regions of Italy, Balsamic Vinegar is one of the great pleasures of the food world. Tradizionale and Condimento balsamic are produced in Modena and Reggio-Emillia and use methods which date back to the Renaissance and Middle Ages.

Aged in a progression of smaller and smaller barrels made from five different woods, the vinegar, derived from unfermented grape must, evolves from a light liquid to a thicker, more syrupy consistency. The name ‘Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena’ has been protected since 1983, and guarantees the authenticity of the vinegar.

Velvety, dark brown, with a complex sweet and sour flavour and intensely fruity aroma, balsamic vinegar is aged in three bands: Young (3-5 years), Middle-aged (6-12 years), and Senior / Old (twelve years and on).

The young Balsamics are best used in salads offering a light, vinegary taste, ideal for drawing out the fresh flavours of a salad.

Middle aged balsamic are ideal for adding to sauces and give a wonderful depth of flavour to risottos, pastas and other such heart warming dishes.

Senior / old – sometimes referred to as the ‘il patriarch’ / patriarch of the balsamic family, the vinegar exudes a complexity of flavour and textures that only the passing of time can create. It is particularly good with game dishes, delicious with veal, poultry, fish and beef and fabulous with deserts that include the mouth-watering sweetness of strawberries, pears and peaches.

Cristina Crotti is an expert in the field. Together with her sister, Silvia, she has made it her mission to take one of the marvels of Italy’s gastronomic traditions out into the world. Their family company, Il Borgo del Balsamico, was founded by their father and is a wonderful example of a family hobby that became a genuine passion. The award winning vinegar produced by the Crotti family has been commercially available only since 2004.

Cristina describes the vinegar making process and the strategies put in place to safeguard the authenticity and quality of the product, ‘Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Reggio Emilia is obtained by the alcoholic fermentation and natural acetic oxidation of cooked grape must. But the real secret lies in the long, painstaking ageing and refining process that takes place in a series of wooden casks or barriques made of different wood types. It is a process that lasts at least twelve years. At Il Borgo, Master Tasters will assign the vinegar from the various casks to one of three categories: Orange, Silver and Gold Traditional Balsamic Vinegar. To safeguard genuine balsamic vinegar products and their brands as well as to guarantee customers that what they purchase fully complies with product specifications, producers of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Reggio Emilia set up their own consortium.

The strict selection criteria have been set by the Production Guidelines. Each type of balsamic vinegar has to meet specific visual, aroma and taste requirements. The most important guarantee that Traditional Balsamic Vinegar is an original product of the area of Reggio Emilia is the recent Protected Designation of Origin label granted by the European Commission. This ensures that the product is subject to quality control and certification by a third party and is by far the most effective way of guaranteeing quality and safeguarding the consumer’.

Cristina adds, ‘ Condimento del Borgo is a daily product everybody can use in their own home, we divide our range into three different labels, yellow for dressing, orange for cooking meat, fish or vegetable but also for fish and salad and finally, our best selling product, the red label. It is a real “present” for your taste, it’s perfect from the appetizer to the dessert. Balsamic products can match any kind of cuisine or dish because they are a double face product, you can add them to a sweet or a savoury plate.

We have an extensive range of Balsamic Vinegars - enjoy them and please do contact us if you would like any advice or wish to pass on any tasting notes of your owns. We are always delighted to hear from you, info@getoily.com.