Facts About 18 Year Old Balsamic Vinegar

True 18 Year Old Balsamic Vinegar is NOT Sold In Bulk!!!

Don't be fooled by false claims. True 18 - 25 year old Traditional Balsamic Vinegar is tightly controlled by the Consortium of traditional balsamic producers (IGP) who oversee the approval of finished product and the bottling of the traditional product in a unique 100ml bottle.

These bottles sell for over $100 each!

IGP: Indication of Geographic Protection: covers agricultural products that are closely linked to a geographical area. This seal is now in effect for commercial grade Balsamic Vinegar of Modena.

DOP: Protected Designation of Origin: covers agricultural products and foodstuffs which are produced, processed and prepared in a given geographical area using recognized know-how. This designation is used for Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena.

IGP Regulations

The IGP regulations allow for only two aging categories: 2 months or 3 years. The description on the label can be "Balsamic Vinegar of Modena" for the 2 month and "Aged" for the 3 year (this is the category for the bottled product mentioned above.

Common Balsamic Vinegar Production Processes

The type of balsamic vinegar that is more commonly produced is a combination of concentrated or cooked grape must and wine vinegar which is fermented and aged for 2 - 3 years. The final quality is affected more by the quality and quantity of the ingredients than by the aging process. Most companies use a Leaf or Star system to differentiate between their grades of balsamic with the higher numbers indicating the higher quantity of the concentrated must vs. the wine vinegar.