What makes Balsamic Vinegar different to other vinegars?
Unlike most vinegar, which is made of wine, balsamic is made using unfermented grape juice (known as must). While trebbiano is the most commonly used white grape variety, sgavetta, lambrusco and ancellotta are also permitted. The grapes are picked very ripe and cooked very slowly in copper cauldrons over an open flame until the water content is reduced by over 50%. The resulting ‘saba’ is then placed into wooden barrels and some older balsamic vinegar, known as the madre or mother, is added to assist in the acetification (where the alcohol is slowly fermented to produce acetic acid more commonly known as vinegar).
