About Balsamic

Balsamic Vinegar originated in Italy. Balsamic Vinegar contains no balsam. The Greek word balsamico means "balsam-like" in the sense of "restorative" or "curative". It is an aromatic, dark, syrup-like, aged vinegar, prepared by the reduction of cooked grapes. Unlike the sharp taste of regular white vinegar (which is made with corn), Balsamic Vinegar has a rich, sweet flavour and has a remarkably low acidity, making it a tart yet smooth, decadent addition to your cuisine.

How is Balsamic Vinegar Made?

At Prairie Oils & Vinegars, our Balsamic Vinegar is made using a cutting-edge, highly controlled process developed by our distributor, MillPress Imports.

Balsamic vinegar has many different classifications and checks for quality assurance and authenticity. The lowest is has no recognized geographic origin and varying regulations. Then there is Balsamic vinegar di Modena, which has a protected geographical indication (PGI) and is strictly regulated. Balsamic vinegars with a PGI designation must be produced in Modena and contain at least 10% wine vinegar, a small amount of vinegar aged 10 years, and be aged in wooden barrels, casks or vats for at least 60 days.

Balsamic condiments with protected designation of origin (PDO) are the highest classification with the strictest qualifications, much like fine wines. Traditional Balsamic vinegar di Modena or Reggio Emilia (PDO) must contain only cooked grape must and have been matured for at least 12 years before bottling. Less than 30,000 liters of this type of traditional balsamic vinegar are made in Italy every year, making it quite rare and totally unavailable to purchase in any large quantity — it is a precious substance, to be used very sparingly. A tiny bottle (think of a travel-size shampoo bottle you can take in a carry-on bag) retails for $100 or more — an impossibility for the home cook and connoisseur who wants to reap the health benefits and taste of delicious balsamic vinegar on a daily basis.

Our Traditional 18-Year Style Balsamic is inspired by a rare 18-Year Balsamico Tradizionale di Reggio Emilia (PDO). It is best tasting and most satisfying, next to the real thing — at a far more accessible price. Instead of a multi-year aging process, our Traditional 18-Year Style Balsamic uses slow-cooked trebbiano, lambrusco and sangiovese grape must. Inspired by heritage techniques, they are aged 6-12 months in smaller-than-typical wooden barrels (more surface area contact with wood = more intense flavour). Then the cooked must is blended with high quality red wine vinegar retaining a high concentration of must to wine vinegar (approximately 3:1).

The result is a Traditional 18-Year Style Balsamic that is tart, satisfyingly viscous, fruit-forward product with no added sugar, thickeners or preservatives. It’s a fresh, healthy balsamic condiment that you can feel good about using every day.

The extremely high level of dried extract solids in this must is close to (if not identical) to that of DOP Traditional Balsamic sold exclusively in 100ml bottles. It is the knowledge and skill of the artisan that ultimately makes the greatest Balsamic Vinegar. As with wine making, Balsamic Vinegar masters aim for particular flavors—a balance of juniper, oak and cherry wood flavours the perfect balance between sweet and sour.

It is this careful process and certification that ensures you are getting Balsamic Vinegar. As with the Extra Virgin Olive Oil market, some unscrupulous producers have entered the market through certification loopholes or the inability to enforce food labeling protection laws. These producers are cutting corners by adding sugar, colourant or thickeners to red wine vinegar, mass producing this low quality Balsamic Vinegar to pass off as the real thing. 

Click here to read more about Balsamic Vinegar fraud.

Balsamic at Prairie Oils & Vinegars

Our 18-Year Traditional Style Balsamic forms the base of all our Dark Balsamic Vinegars, and is the highest possible quality and best tasting balsamic available to consumers at this price point.

At Prairie Oils & Vinegars, we also stock a wide variety of White, Rosé, and Whole Fruit Balsamic Vinegars. The varietal of grape used in to make these vinegars varies, but they are all made in the traditional fashion--all natural, with no added sugar, artificial flavours, thickeners, and colours.

Our White Balsamic Vinegar is also from Modena, Italy. Several years ago, chefs began searching for a product with the same characteristics of Balsamic Vinegar, but without the same dark colour in order to not discolour the presentation of certain salads or prepared dishes. Our White Balsamic Vinegars undergo the same cooking process as our dark balsamics but is aged in stainless steel vats, not wooden ones, to prevent any flavours or colour development to occur because of contact with wood. The result is a crisp, tart vinegar that still carries forth a beautiful sweetness.

Our Rosé and Barrel Aged Wine Vinegars are made using the same grapes as varietals of Pinot Gregio, Pinot Noir, and more, to expertly capture the complex nuance of a blush, rosé, red or white wine.

The difference between our Dark Balsamic Vinegars and the others is that any balsamic that is not dark means the varietal of grape has been cooked just until they are cooked through. The Dark Balsamic Vinegars are cooked until they begin to stick to the bottom of the pot, resulting in caramelization the sugars which produces a rich, dark flavour and colour. Dark Balsamic Vinegar is stored in wood barrels; White Balsamic Vinegar is stored in stainless steel barrels.

How are the Balsamics Flavoured?

No sugar or sweetener, artificial flavours, or thickeners are ever added to our balsamics. Our balsamics are flavoured with real ingredients or extracts.

For our Dark Balsamic Vinegars, the 18-Year Traditional Style Balsamic forms the base and then real ingredients are used to flavour the vinegar. Similarly, the white, whole fruit, and rosé balsamic have a base and then they are flavoured with real ingredients or extracts. Vinegars flavoured with extracts mean they are using the natural oils extracted from the ingredient through expression or maceration, not through chemical processes.

If it is a fruit-flavoured balsamic, two methods are often used. In one method, real fruit is cooked down with water to concentrate the flavour. This mixture is then strained and the concentrated fruit juice is then added to the balsamic. Our Whole Fruit Balsamic Vinegars (found in our store among our White Balsamic Vinegars) are flavoured using a whole fruit concentrated compote to flavour the vinegar. The result is a thick, smooth condiment with low acidity. Real fruit sediment can be seen in the vinegar and in every drop of this vinegar, you get an all-encompassing sensation of biting in to a ripe, fresh fruit.

Our herb-flavoured balsamics are flavour-infused with real mashed herbs or spices. This is then sieved out, although some natural sediment remains. 

Is Balsamic Vinegar Healthy?

Yes, it is! Balsamic Vinegar retains most of the nutrients present in the parent grapes, so it is full of antioxidants and minerals. It is:

- low in calories
- an all natural source of sweetness
- perfect for healthy lifestyle eating plans, such as paleo or ketogenic diets, and more!

Recent studies have shown that Balsamic Vinegar has certain healthful effects on our bodies, such as aiding with digestion, controlling blood sugar levels, adding anti-oxidants to our diet, and more. So it can be an excellent choice to add to our diet!

Please click here to visit our Health Information page to read more!

Our Source for the Highest Quality Balsamic

Our producer for balsamic vinegars is a company called Ponti in Italy. 

Click here to be redirected to their website at www.ponti.com!