Balsamic Vinegar

True to the typical process, our balsamic vinegar is made by reducing grape must and then aging in barrels of various woods. Its complex and semi-sweet flavor make it a favorite in salads, with peaches or as a vinaigrette. The 6 year aged balsamic is available in the 500ml size while a sweeter and syrupy 12 year aged is bottled in a 250ml size.

Our shop bag is made from canvas jute which is a renewable resource, friendly to the environment and durable. Its generous dimensions of 20 inches in length by 14 inches in height and wide straps make it easy to carry around all of your groceries.

Balsamic Vinegar Health

Balsamic vinegar contains polyphenols, antioxidants that can protect the body from heart disease and cancer. The grapes that are used to make balsamic vinegar also contain antioxidants that fight against cell damage, improve the body's immune system and make blood platelets more flexible, thus preventing heart or circulation problems.

The digestive system can benefit greatly from balsamic vinegar. The vinegar boosts the activity of pepsin, an enzyme that breaks protein down into smaller amino acids that can be more easily absorbed by the body. Pepsin helps to improve the body's metabolism as well. Balsamic vinegar can also improve insulin sensitivity for diabetics, allowing for an easier regulation of blood sugar and reducing unpleasant side effects from diabetes

Balsamic vinegar also works to suppress the body's appetite and increase the amount of time it takes for the stomach to empty, which can contribute to weight loss by preventing overeating. According to Nutrition Data, balsamic vinegar is a source of calcium, iron, manganese and potassium, which improve the body's functioning and weight loss abilities.

Sources: 

1. Welton, Rose. Balsamic Vinegar Health Benefits. http://www.livestrong.com Apr. 26, 2011.

Balsamic Vinegar History

Balsamic vinegar dates back to the ancient Romans but the term "Balsamic" is relatively new and was used for the first time in the records of the ducal inventories of the Este Palace in Modena in 1747; (1) probably the name derived from the therapeutic uses to which the vinegar was put at the time. (2)

With the birth of the Italian State (1860) the new stimulus given to the markets generated a gradually increasing interest in Balsamic Vinegar, and also encouraged impressive historic and bibliographical studies on the product. In 1839 Count Giorgio Gallesio, an agriculturist of the time spent several days studying the production method of balsamic vinegar and his manuscript notes, rediscovered in 1993 in Washington in the United States, (3) are the oldest "technical" document to describe the way in which Balsamic Vinegar was made in the Modena area.

At the end of the 19th Century, Modena Balsamic Vinegar started to appear at the leading exhibitions, attracting great interest not only within Italy but also at the international level.

Sources:

1. "Register of the vintages and sales of wines, on behalf of the ducal cellars for the year 1747", Italian State Archives.
2. Gioacchino Rossini in a letter to his friend Angelo Castellani: ‘…just a little vinegar from Modena, with its proven refreshing, soothing properties, soon restored some measure of health and tranquillity…’.
3. Giorgio Gallesio, 1839, manuscript.

Balsamic Vinegar Production

Our California balsamic vinegar is produced from the juice of just-harvested zinfandel and cabernet grapes grown in Yolo County and boiled down to create a concentrate, which is then fermented with a slow aging process which concentrates the flavors. The flavor intensifies over the years, with the vinegar being stored in wooden casks made of different woods like chestnut, acacia, cherry, oak, mulberry, and ash.

None of the product is withdrawn until the end of the aging period of 6 years. At the end of the aging period a small portion is drawn from the smallest cask and each cask is then topped up with the contents of the preceding next larger cask. Freshly reduced cooked must is added to the largest cask and in every subsequent year the drawing and topping up process is repeated.

Balsamic Vinegar Use

Balsamic vinegar is used in salad dressings, dips, marinades, reductions and sauces.

It is also used sparingly to enhance steaks, eggs or grilled scallops or shrimp, as well as simple pastas and risottos, on fresh fruit such as strawberry and pears and on plain cream ice cream. Balsamic vinegar has excellent digestive properties and it may even be drunk from a tiny glass to conclude a meal.