Vinegars

Traditional balsamic vinegar is made with the juice from freshly crushed grapes, slowly boiled down to about a third of the original volume to form a cooked must. This must is then acetified in a battery of seven or eight wooden barrels of various sizes for a number of years. This process requires great skill and patience in order to achieve the necessary flavours from each barrel.

As balsamic vinegar ages, it sweetens, becomes more concentrated and thickens as it evaporates through the walls of the barrels. You can find some terrific 25 year aged balsamic vinegars that are very mellow, very syrupy and also very expensive! You can also find some very good younger balsamic vinegars that are a little sharper, but perfect for everyday use.

We offer two balsamic vinegars from a small producer based near Modena, called Bellei, who produce balsamic of a consistently high quality. If you are looking for a really special, seriously aged balsamic, perhaps to give as a gift to real balsamic lover, please do give us a shout at info@castellofoodcompany.com, and we will be able to source just what you're looking for.