Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena

Produced since the Middle Ages and famous throughout the world, the traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena is made from a reduction of pressed and cooked Trebbiano and Lambrusco white grapes. The grape juice is boiled down to approximately 30% of the original volume, which produces a thick syrup called mosto cotto in Italian. Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena is then stored in wooden barrels and fermented with a slow aging process for a minimum of 12 years.

During this time, the traditional Modena vinegar becomes sweeter, viscous and very concentrated, which intensifies the flavor even more. Aceto balsamico is rich, glossy, deep brown in color and has a complex flavor that balances the natural sweet and sour elements of the cooked grapes with hints of wood from the barrels: chestnut, cherry, oak, mulberry, ash or juniper.

Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena can sell for up to $200 an ounce, and should never be mistaken with the regular Aceto Balsamico. Highly prized by modern chefs and gourmet food lovers, the Extravecchio variety of Modena balsamic vinegar, the one that's aged for 25 years or even more, is marketed in bottles with gold-colored caps. The most famous Modena desserts made with this balsamic vinegar are Zabaione, Latte alla Portoghese, and Panna Cotta.