Balsamic Reduction

Traditional authentic balsamic vinegar is a dark, concentrated, bold-flavored vinegar originating in Modena, Italy. It is made wholly or partially from grape must: freshly crushed grape juice with all the skins, seeds, and stems. The grape juice gets simmered to reduce it and then aged for an extended period (12 years or more) in wooden barrels. The slow fermentation creates alcohol that gets attacked by acetic bacteria, turning the wine into vinegar. When evaporation happens during fermentation, the liquid gets transferred to smaller barrels of different types of wood, such as chestnet, cherrywood, ash, mulberry, and juniper.

Producing traditional balsamic vinegar is highly regulated to confirm its authenticity, made in North Central Italy, specifically Modena or nearby Reggio Emilia, to earn its designation.

Balsamic vinegar, not traditionally made, is usually unregulated. If not regulated, the balsamic vinegar is considered a knock-off. It might look the same but often contains added sweeteners, coloring, and preservatives, which produces a poor tasting product. It is cheaper to buy compared to the authentically made product because producers use shortcuts to make it. Commercial balsamic vinegar found on mainstream grocery shelves usually are made with accelerated manufacturing processes by adding wine vinegar to the concentrated grape must (unfermented white sweet grape juice). The method skims years off the acidification process – the time it spends in oak barrels – cutting it from a minimum of twelve years to an average of two months to three years.

Some commercial balsamic vinegar may contain additives. Caramel for color and sweetness to speed up the manufacturing process.

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