Which Balsamic do you Enjoy?

I’m trying out different Balsamic vinegars.
What do you recommend and
which brand is your favourite?

White balsamic condimento. I buy several Greek and Italian brands.
I like the Sarafino brand if I’m buying a gift or splurging. They also sell several more traditional balsamics.

The President’s Choice White Balsamic is also decent, as is the Unico, for an everyday vinegar that costs less than $4 a bottle.

I buy this Philotimo vinegar with honey at Serano Bakery & Market on Pape in Toronto’s Greektown, as a splurge.

Serano’s Oils and Vinegars

I use white balsamic vinegar condimento in 90 percent of my salads.

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Two balsamic from Montreal. Fast next day delivery free if you spend a certain amount. We use both the light and dark balsamic for the last several years. They have a stand at Talon market.

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Villa Manodori…probably the best “inexpensive” balsamic vinegar I have tasted. Once I discovered it many years ago, the only other balsamic vinegar I have used is either a small bottle of aged balsamic for special occasions, and the Costco stuff for reductions, etc. The Villa Manodori is great just out of the bottle.

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For finishing, we enjoy several extraordinary flavors from Amphora Nueva, a small Bay Area concern with several outlets.

Blenheim apricot and Maple are mind-blowing. Their plain white balsamic is our go to. Not cheap, but worth every cent/tablespoon.

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I believe real balsamic vinegar costs like $100 for a 6 oz bottle.

So I use Spanish sweet Sherry vinegar in place or a cheaper $12 substitute that’s overly sweet most likely.

Since most/all basalmics aren’t the real thing at stores, I just don’t bother buying a high quality and pricey fake balsamic.

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I don’t know this phrase. Can you educate us?
I love sherry vinegar but find them very uneven. The only brand I now buy is La Bodega. It is widely carried but very/most often out of stock.

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There’s this store that was recommended - Despana - that I learned about it.

I guess in Spain they make wine vinegar like most countries but they have the Pedro Ximenez sherry grape - the sweetest among sherry grape varieties maybe?

I have the link to the store here https://despanabrandfoods.com/collections/a-olive-oils-vinegar/products/montegrato-pedro-ximenez-sherry-vinegar-16-years

I use it because I feel like I’m using a real actual product at an affordable price.

I just couldn’t pay $100 for a tiny 6 oz bottle of real balsamic.

But I’m no expert on Spain and their products.

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Thank you all I’m on the tail end of my Goccia Oro aged red Balsamic.
I’ve been in a red Balsamic phase the 3 below are the ones that I’ve chosen to explore with next due to availability.
I really like the purple one for salad dressings.

The other 2 haven’t been cracked open yet looked very interesting. One has mostco cotta which I believe is the preferred one to use.

Haven’t cooked with white Balsamic do they vary like the red or are they more similar in flavour profile @Phoenikia ?
Will Google some recipes to experiment with.

You are right too rich for my blood so I’m glad that I have all of you here to help share your opinions.

I have only bought one brown / real balsamic in close to 15 years, and it was a $3 bottle of President’s Choice, so I can’t compare regular balsamic, or red balsamic, to white condimento in my cooking.

I basically use white balsamic, red wine vinegar, white wine vinegar and unseasoned rice vinegar in 99 percent of my cooking and salads.

When I buy sherry vinegar, apple cider cider or malt vinegar, the mother usually
grows faster than I use the bottle, and I usually throw the rest of the bottle out a year or 2 after I purchased it.