La Secchia Aged Balsamic Vinegar

Hey, it's Gina from WTI. Are you ready for a life-changing culinary experience? That's what happened to my husband and I when we tasted La Secchia affinato, an aged balsamic vinegar of Modena. This is like no tabletop balsamic vinegar that you've tasted before. It's been aged for at least 20 years in small batches in wooden barrels. It has such a complex flavor profile. It enhances everything that you put it on. It's kind of a palate cleanser as well. So each new bite that you get with it is like a new experience. This vinegar is designed to be top quality. In fact, the Italian government has given it a designation of DOP, which means that it is a very special product and top notch. A little bit goes a long way because it is truly bursting with flavor. It's sweet and smooth and not overly acidic, but it really just dances on your taste buds. We used it in ways that were kind of out of the box for me, like drizzling it on ice cream, pairing it with fruit like pears and blackberries, and then on things like caprese salad or over prosciutto and homemade sourdough bread. There really is just an endless way that you could be using this vinegar. It's made from cooked grape mustard, but the way that it's aged actually reduces it down naturally into kind of a thick syrup. You can taste the love and care that the owner Lorenzo puts into his vinegar. The vinegar factory was passed down to him from his father. Their respect for the process is so evident. There's no chemicals, no colors. It's all natural and all pure. I feel truly honored that I was able to taste this vinegar. It is so special. It's ruined me for all other vinegars from now on. I highly recommend this and that's my point of view.