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Although it is considered a wine vinegar, it is not a wine vinegar at all. It is not made from wine, but from grape pressings that have never been permitted to ferment into wine. Sweet white Trebbiano grape pressings are boiled down to a dark syrup and then aged under rigid restrictions. The syrup is placed into oaken kegs, along with a vinegar "mother," and begins the aging process. Over the years it graduates to smaller and smaller kegs made of chestnut, cherrywood, ash, mulberry, and juniper until it is ready for sale. All of these woods progressively add character to the vinegar. As it ages, moisture evaporates out, further thickening the vinegar and concentrating the flavour. Some balsamic vinegars have been aged for over 100 years. It is this aging process that makes true balsamic vinegar from Modena in Northern Italy so expensive.
Balsamic vinegar age and price The longer it is permitted to age, the higher the quality and price. Indeed, some balsamic vinegars, depending on age, can cost hundreds of dollars for a mere half cup! Less than 3,000 gallons of genuine balsamico are released each year. It is so highly prized that it is considered disgraceful to cook with it. Rather, connoisseurs profess that genuine balsamico should be enjoyed in its virgin form, untouched by heat, much like a fine aged whiskey. As little as a half teaspoon of this expensive aged vinegar is enough to give flavour to avinaigrette dressing to serve four. Luckily, there are less expensive balsamic vinegars available for home cooks. As the age decreases, so does the price, but many new products use carmelization and coloring in cheap balsamic vinegars. Since the flavour is so intense, most recipes calling for balsamic vinegar use 1/4 cup or much less, enabling the cook to stretch that pint a long way. Overuse of balsamic vinegar can actually ruin a dish, so use it sparingly when experimenting. |
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