A TRUE BALSAMIC VINEGAR
Not all balsamic vinegars are created equal. In fact, many found on grocery shelves, are imitations and aren't actually balsamic vinegar at all. Some vinegars use the word "balsamic" but are really just vinegar with sweetener & coloring (with no grape must at all). They might be made with wine vinegar, white vinegar, or cider vinegar, and are industrially-produced to emulate the texture & flavor of balsamic (at a fraction of the price).
SANTÉ proudly offers our true balsamic vinegar from Modena, using the only two acceptable ingredients: Grape Must and Red Wine Vinegar.
Thicker, richer, and sweeter than other balsamic vinegars, SANTÉ boasts a significantly higher percentage of grape must -- about 75%. Most other brands using grape must use less than 50% -- with the average being around 25%. Pro tip: Check your labels. If the first ingredient is not grape must, it cannot be high quality!
Flavorful and thick, our Balsamic Vinegar has a balance of complex sweetness and crisp tartness -- that balances the rich flavor of meat, poultry & fish, adds welcome acidity to vegetables & fruits, and is delicious drizzled over salads. Fantastic as an accent to vanilla ice cream or chocolate cakes, too (or both together, as we like it...).
DETAILS
- 375ml Bordeaux-style green glass bottle
- Imported from Modena, Italy
- Blended in small, artisan batches
- No added sugars, colors, or thickening agents
- Vegan: No dairy or animal products
- No chemical additives or preservatives
- Gluten Free
- By SANTÉ / Bottled in the USA
Ingredients: grape must, red wine vinegar. Contains natural occurring sulfites from raw materials. Processed in a facility that uses: Milk, Wheat, Nuts, and Soy.
~ Available for Local Next Day Delivery | Not eligible for return once opened
CURATOR'S NOTE:
True balsamic vinegar begins with grape must —whole pressed grapes complete with juice, skin, seeds and stems. Traditionally, must is cooked over a direct flame until concentrated, left to ferment, then matured and further concentrated in a "batteria," of successively smaller aging barrels.
The vinegar is bottled from the smallest cask in the sequence. Each cask is then topped up with vinegar from the next cask up, with the largest cask getting filled with the new yield. None of the casks are ever completely drained (making truth in labeling regarding "years aged" a marketing slippery-slope). The vinegar gets thicker and more concentrated as it ages due to evaporation through the walls of the barrels—the vinegar the smallest barrel will be much thicker and more syrupy than the liquid in the successively larger barrels.
Here's a few ideas to use our Balsamic Vinegar:
- APPLY AS SEASONING: drizzle on immediately before serving
- USE AS (OR IN) SALAD DRESSINGS: remember, it is much sweeter than typical vinegars in dressing recipes
- USE WITH A CHEESE PLATE OR CHARCUTERIE
- ADD TO MARINADES: particularly good with garlic, rosemary, lemon & honey flavors
- USE WITH DESSERTS & FRUITS: especially cream-based desserts, peaches, strawberries, pears & figs
- USE FOR DEGLAZING: right after cooking seasoned meats or onions/shallots... amazing sauce.
- See BON! for recipe inspirations (coming soon)
