10 best balsamic vinegars

Drizzle it over salad, enjoy it with ciabatta, marinate vegetables, or use it to add
depth to a sauce - this versatile staple is a cook's best friend
Kate Hilpern Monday 6 July 2015 13:00 BST 1 comment

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The Independent Online

Balsamic vinegar can sell for as much as a

couple of hundred quid an ounce (none of those
here, thankfully) or as little as Aldi’s Solesta at
99p for 500ml. The original balsamic vinegars
are the best and still today are only made in
Reggio Emilia and Modena, Italy, using
traditional methods, with the entire production
process overseen by a special certification
agency. The result is glossy and syrupy, with a
velvety texture and a rich, complex taste. You
can spot them by their “Denominazione di
Origine Protetta” – or DOP – stamp.

“Condimento” balsamic vinegars are the ones

that haven’t met the DOP standards for maturity
or have been made outside of Modena and
Reggio Emilia. Nevertheless, they are still made
with the same traditional method and are usually
much cheaper and better value for money. Then
there are the balsamics with “Indicazione
Geografica Protetta” (IGP) stamps, which
guarantee that they’re made from grape varieties
commonly found in Modena – though the grapes
can be grown anywhere – and are processed
there. These are hugely variable, but are
generally sweeter and work well in salads and
sauces.

Not sure which type to opt for? Consider your

budget, how often you’ll use it and what you’ll
use it for.

1. Selection Artisan: £24.99, selfridges.com

Thicker than many and more luxurious, too, this
is especially good drizzled over salads or as a
vegetable marinade. It is made using traditional
methods by the family firm of La Vecchia
Dispensa in a village in the foothills of the
Appenines, not far from Modena.

Buy now

2. Solesta: 99p, aldi.co.uk

This richly coloured vinegar won gold at the
Grocer Own Label awards earlier this summer,
yet it costs less than a quid. It smells gorgeous
and has a tangy, fruity flavour. The consistency
is thin, which makes it better for bread dipping
than for salad dressings.

Buy now

3. Finest Balsamic Vinegar of Modena: £6,

tesco.com
Made from the juice of crushed Emilia Romagna
grapes, which is aged in small oak barrels, this
well-balanced, intense vinegar hails from a 250-
year-old family business. It goes a treat on
salads, as well as in sauces.

Buy now

4. Balsamic Vinegar from Modena Light:

£7.75, carluccios.com
Carluccio’s sells three great balsamics - aged,
thick and this thinner one - all made in Emilia
Romagna, with local, top-notch ingredients. The
light version is a quality everyday choice that’s
perfect in marinades, vinaigrettes and sauces; we
found that it transformed dishes in way that
others didn’t.

Buy now

5. Due Vittorie Balsamic Vinegar 12 Year Old

Tradizionale: £49.99, ocado.com
You’ll have to be a serious foodie to fork out this
much for a mere 100ml, but it’s a huge treat for
enthusiasts or for special occasions. Aged for
over 12 years in small barrels made of different
woods according to traditional methods, it’s so
thick and luxurious it’s almost glaze-like.

Buy now

6. Taste the Difference Balsamic Vinegar of

Modena: £6, sainsburys.co.uk
We liked this one drizzled over meat and fish,
and it’s great for giving gravies and sauces a bit
of oomph, too. It’s treacle-like and luxurious,
with deep, complex flavours, and fantastically
aromatic. In a blind test, we expected it to be
twice the price.

Buy now

7. Leonardi Speciale 8 Year: £15.95,

harrods.com
This one, which is exclusive to Harrods, is made
by a company that has been producing balsamic
vinegars since 1871. Aged for eight years, using
meticulous and traditional hand production and
ageing methods, it is intense and rich and makes
a great partner to breads, cheese, meats, salads -
and even fruits and vanilla ice cream. We love
the packaging, too.

Buy now

8. Organic Balsamic Vinegar of

Modena: £2.70, waitrose.com
Great for cooking with, this is a fabulous daily
staple to keep on the worktop. Made with no
added colouring or sugar, it’s one of the least
sweet of our round-up and is lovely splashed in
stews, sauces and salads or just mopped up with
some ciabatta.

Buy now

9. Balsamic Vinegar: £1.49, morrisons.com

Another bargain, this one is matured in oak and
chestnut barrels in Modena to give it a smooth,
rich flavour. It’s well-balanced, particularly for
the price, with sweet and sour notes, and a nice
one to drizzle over a salad with olive oil or to
add to sauces for a richer flavour.

Buy now

10. Gold Label: £25, fortnumandmason.com

This decadent and versatile vinegar makes the
best salad dressing ever and is excellent over
strawberries and basil for pudding. It’s made by
a 100-year-old, small-scale family business in
Castelvetro di Modena, Italy, which uses locally
sourced ingredients, as well as local wood for
the barrels.

Buy now

Verdict:

Aldi’s Solesta is a steal for under a quid; an

award-winning, aromatic and tangy offering, it
makes a great partner to delicious bread. For
something more traditional, we think Due
Vittorie Balsamic Vinegar 12 Year Old
Tradizionale is absolutely delicious,
while Sainsbury's Taste the Difference offering
tastes like it should be twice the price.