Balsamic vinegar results from the fermentation of grape must, or boiled grape juice. It is native to Emilia-Romagna, the fertile region that includes Modena, Parma and Bologna. By law, balsamic vinegar must be low in acid, not more than 6%, which is why balsamic vinegar is less pungent and more pleasing than many other vinegars.

Modena and Emilia produce a variation on balsamic called tradizionale, which is aged for a minimum of 12 years in a battery of wooden casks that are open to the air, allowing the vinegar to evaporate and thicken. Each year the must is moved from one cask to another, imparting the flavors of the various woods in the battery. The result is a syrupy thick vinegar with an unbelievable complexity and sophistication. Tradizionale is expensive - some varieties are aged for 100 years - but it is used sparingly, with a few drops drizzled over meats, berries or even ice cream. It is hard to call tradizionale a vinegar. It's an elixir!

Choose from our balsamic vinegars, wine vinegars and other specialty vinegars below. And remember. Vinegar is not just for salad anymore!