Tradizionale Balsamic Vinegar di Modena - Guerzoni

This is Guerzoni’s Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP, made the way traditional balsamic has been for centuries: from cooked organic grape must only, with no wine vinegar or additives. It is slowly matured for a minimum of 12 years as it moves through a succession of wooden barrels, each contributing its own subtle character to the final vinegar. The result is intensely aromatic yet beautifully balanced, with layers of sweetness, acidity, dried fruit and wood. Use me a few drops at a time! This is not a balsamic for your everyday cooking - this is a finishing condiment to be enjoyed with a few drops over Parmigiano Reggiano, risotto, strawberries, or a perfectly cooked steak. Short guide to choosing a balsamic: Choosing a balsamic can be confusing, but it gets much simpler once you understand the different categories. The Rosso (Red) is the everyday bottle you’ll happily reach for several times a week. It’s bright, versatile, and perfect for salad dressings, marinades, roasted vegetables, and everyday cooking. From there, Bronzo, Argento, and Oro are progressively more refined IGP Balsamic Vinegars of Modena. As you move up the range, the balsamic becomes richer, smoother, and more concentrated, making them better suited to finishing dishes, drizzling over cheese, or enjoying with good olive oil and bread. At the top are the Traditional Balsamic Vinegars of Modena DOP. These are made from cooked grape must alone, then aged for many years in a series of wooden barrels. They aren’t everyday cooking vinegars—they’re finishing condiments, best enjoyed a few drops at a time over Parmigiano Reggiano, strawberries, vanilla ice cream, or a perfectly cooked steak. One thing to know: great balsamic isn’t just sweeter or older. It’s about balance. Lower-grade balsamics rely more heavily on wine vinegar for acidity, while higher-quality balsamics contain more slowly aged grape must, giving them greater depth, natural sweetness, and a long, complex finish without losing freshness. The DOPs are 100% cooked grape must with no added wine vinegar - they get their acidity purely from the aging process! About the producer: Great balsamic starts in the vineyard. Felice and Iride Guerzoni founded their acetaia in the 1970s, a time when Italian agriculture was becoming increasingly industrialized with chemical inputs. They went the other way, because their farm was principally their own source of food! They became devoted students of the Demeter biodynamic philosophy before the word “organic” had started to become popular globally (receiving their first Demeter certification in 1984). Today, only around 50–60 producers are permitted to make Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena DOP. Of that already exclusive group, Guerzoni is the only producer that is both certified organic and Demeter biodynamic. Their balsamics are still made from organically grown grapes, then slowly fermented and aged in wooden barrels using methods that have been passed down through generations in Modena. K. Lorenzo visited us recently in Bangkok and we filmed a short chat about what makes their balsamic so special, which you can watch here. Short version? They remain a family-owned producer with a small and passionate team making the best product they can make while their farm’s soil gets richer every year. Read more about their balsamic operation & history on their great website here. This is some of the best balsamic vinegar in the world, and we are proud to import them to Thailand - enjoy! 🍇