I am, by nature, a cheap bas. . . er. . a frugal shopper. So when
I first started using Balsamic vinegar in recipes I went for the
cheaper bottles. I've even bought some at a dollar store.

So, when I saw, twice in the last week, recipes calling for 'a good
grade of balsamic' I was a little skeptical. One recipe went on to
say that to some folks balsamic brands were like religion and they
treasured theirs like beer drinkers and their brew. I've known a
lot of beer snobs in my day that, once the labels were off couldn't
tell a lager from a stout, so I didn't pay much mind.

But yesterday's recipe was for my bi-annual run of lamb chops- and I
had some time to shop, so I went to the vinegar section in the grocery
store and looked at their balsamics. They had about a dozen
bottles of various sizes, all in the $3-5 range. Then there was
the small bottle- 8.5oz - for $11. [I just looked online & it seems
that is an excellent price for this bottle- $16 seems the norm]

Lucini, Gran Riserva, "aged 10 years". I'm a sucker for a pretty
bottle, and this is one. So I got it.

And a balsamic vinegar snob was born.<g>

Couple questions--
1. What do I do with my cheap stuff now that I'm a snob?
2. Is there a more economical brand or way to buy the good stuff?

Jim
[oh- and BTW- the lamb chops were very good. . for lamb chops. . but
I've confirmed once again that I'm not a real fan.]