My local high-end grocery stores have many many different varieties of
balsamic vinegar, ranging in price from $4/bottle to $180/bottle. The
most expensive stuff is always, of course, the traditional balsamic
vinegar.
From what I've read, vinegar labelled as "Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale"
is made in one of two DOC-controlled regions of Italy, aged in
consecutively smaller barrels over many years, bottled in specially
designed 100-ml bottles, and sold for reliably high prices. Also, from
what I've read, anything that's not marked as Tradizionale is classified
as "industriale" - usually claimed to be either a blend of cooked grape
must and vinegar, or just wine vinegar with a little caramel color. But
many of the mid-range vinegars I see at the grocery store ($10-$40 for
250ml) indicate that they've been aged for 5, or 8, or 12 years, and
give the same spiel about barrel-aging, but aren't labelled as
Tradizionale. [1]
So, what justifies the high cost of Tradizionale vinegar? Are the
mid-range vinegar producers all lying? (Seems unlikely.) Are the
Tradizionale producers spreading fear, uncertainty, and doubt about
anything that isn't certified? Are the mid-range vinegars just younger
than than the Tradizionales? [2]
I have bought a bottle of white-cap traditional vinegar from Modena, so
I know how worthwhile the method is. I haven't compared the mid-range
balsamics to a traditional one, since one bottle of expensive vinegar is
enough for me right now. But I'd like to know, before I buy another
bottle, whether the certification is worth the money.
Thanks for any answers.
Blake
[1] The Web has 'em too. A couple clicks on Google ads gave me the
following examples: (I have no affiliation with any of these sites)
http://store.yahoo.com/chefshop/fatesbalvin1.html
http://store.yahoo.com/chefshop/foncar12year.html
http://www.store.yahoo.com/cooknstyle/manbalvin12i.html
http://www.mackenzieltd.com/cgi-bin/...AIL&item=VMB85
They're all 250ml bottles for $21-$40, and say the same things about
barrel-aging and different types of wood etc.
[2] But compare
http://tinyurl.com/w2rf and
http://tinyurl.com/w2rg -
a non-Tradizionale 50-year aged for $89, and a Tradizionale 25-year
for $104.
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