"Blake Jones" > wrote in message
. ..
> 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.
>

There's no easy answer. The label Tradizionale is trademarked (or whatever
the equivalent is in Italy) and can be used only by members of a group that
follow certain traditional methods. You can rest assured that these are real
ly high qualty vinegars, but as you have noticed they are expensive.
Vinegars without this label may be made using the same methods and just as
good but you cannot be sure of this just from the label. So, it beomes a
matter of trying them out and finding the ones you like. The lesser
"industrial" vinegars are a really mixed bag. It's a mistake to think of
them as being in competition with the expensive aged vinegars - it's really
a different product. You would not use them for the same things. Some are
excellent, some are awful, many are so-so. I recommend the 365 brand from
Whole Foods.

Peter G. Aitken