Your Balsamic Vinegar Is Fake

[@Lam]

I'm somewhat annoyed that you showed a bottle of Kirkland balsamic in the thumbnail and didn't talk about it. But you delivered a well-written and edited video on the topic. I learned something! Thanks! For anyone wondering, I looked up the Kirkland product and it has wine vinegar.

[@truebalsamic305]

Fair point. Honestly when I originally filmed this I talked about the Kirkland bottle specifically. It ended up feeling redundant though because the same concept and points applied to it as pretty much any other bottle with an IGP seal. I'm glad you enjoyed though! Thank you for commenting your thoughts I will definitely try to keep that in mind for the future.

[@Lam]

@@truebalsamic305 Yeah, completely understand why you made that edit, probably made for a better video. I think most people wouldn't be too annoyed TBH, I just happened to have that bottle in my kitchen. Keep up the good work! Hope your company does well and I think you identified a gap in the market. I just have to find one up in Canada haha.

[@truebalsamic305]

Thank you! I'd recommend searching for bottles with the DOP / PDO certification and you should be able to find it online. They'll either be called "Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena" or "Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Reggio Emilia". Those terms are protected much like the word champagne so it has to be from the specified region and made a certain way to be labeled as such. There's a patented bottle design for anything labeled as being from Modena and one for Reggio Emilia so you'll be able to tell pretty quickly. There are disadvantages to buying DOP (mainly how much more expensive it can be) however it's the best way to go if you don't know the vineyard it's coming from and how it's made. The balsamic vinegar I import isn't DOP but I've been lucky enough to go there, see how it's made, and try to film as best as possible to show others.

[@Lam]

@@truebalsamic305 Thanks for the writeup, I saved this to my notes! Interesting there's a protected bottle design, I'm guessing just like the coke bottle it makes it easier to recognize. I'm also hearing that you can get the DOP quality without having to pay DOP prices which I think is an interesting value prop. Basically people will buy from you because you vet the producer and they can sell it for less because they don't have to go through all the hoops of a DOP product

[@jrkastl]

Well, I just checked my own Kirkland, and yup... red wine vinegar included.

[@musicwill321]

Hi there! Your video overall does truly highlight the fact that balsamic vinegar is one of the products that a lot of people are misinformed about. As a fan of balsamic vinegar, I think you brought up a lot of good points. Some things I like to add is that people use red wine to boast the acidity and more importantly, mimic the colour of the traditional balsamic vinegar (DOP). Another point to add is that DOP balsamic vinegar is 4% acidity as oppose to 6% acidity for IGP. I am assuming that when you are assuming real balsamic vinegar, you are referring to the DOP. In that case, a point to bring up is that ALL DOP vinegar bottles must be in the shape of Giugiarro bottles (looks like ball sittiing on a square base); that's another way to distinguish the DOPs from IGPs as it is a protected feature by law. For IGPs, although some of them contain ingredients that are not wine vinegar nor must like red wine vinegar (as mentioned in video) and caramel colouring, some of them that only contains grape must and wine vinegar are very good quality and that depends on the concentrations of must and wine vinegar and how long they have been aged. Some IGPs are actually close to the real deal (the DOP) in terms of taste (Giuseppe Giusti is a good example of this). A tip for anyone buying balsamic vinegar, as the video mentioned, check the ingredients and what I like to do is get a bottle and tilt it slightly to determine the viscosity of the vinegar. Assuming the vinegar only contains must and wine vinegar (for IGP), the greater viscosity indicates a higher quality blend (more grape must). My apologies if my message seems lengthy, but I thought that it would be nice to share my thoughts about this wonderful gem.

[@truebalsamic305]

Hello! Thank you for replying! I hope you enjoyed the video. I didn't go into my thoughts on DOP because I think it requires it's own video in the future. In summary, I don't believe a balsamic vinegar must be DOP in order to be real. My definition of real balsamic vinegar is based upon whether a product uses the correct grapes, from the correct region, is aged for correct length of time, etc. This is why I still consider the vast majority of IGP products to be "fake". I think the DOP certification does a lot of great things and makes it much easier for your average consumer to identify real balsamic vinegar. However there are certain restrictions that the consortium imposes that increase the cost for the consumer & limit variety in length of aging. This causes vinegar houses to avoid the DOP certification despite having a product that could meet the standards set in place. Much of this really comes back to the bottle and packaging. Modena has the Giugiaro bottle and Reggio Emilia actually has it's own design. The bottles are sold by the consortium to the vinegar houses and the cost is inflated significantly. Both bottle designs are 100mL preventing individuals from purchasing smaller amount that would may be suitable for their consumption (and effectively raising the barrier of entry away from people who would just like to give it a try). As you are probably well aware, DOP bottles only have a few different options for length of aging. In Modena you have a seal for 12+ years of aging and 25+ years of aging. In Reggio Emilia, they do 12, 18, & 25. If a vinegar house were to decide to age something for longer than that there's not really a great way to represent that within the framework provided. They'd be stuck labeling a bottle aged for 40 years as 25 years since there isn't a classification provided for it. This is why I actually decided to go forward with a non-DOP product that I consider to be real for my business. I'm able to offer a 12 year 50ml bottle for $35+free shipping which is pretty much unheard of when talking about the cost of real balsamic vinegar available in the US. Again thank you for showing interest in this! It's great to hear feedback and opinions from someone who is also a fan of balsamic vinegar!

[@ryanmozert]

@@truebalsamic305 dude. 6 percent acidity. thats how you tell. 🙄🙄

[@electrictroy2010]

I look at the ingredients. If the first primary ingredient is Grape Must then it’s likely a good balsamic (especially if from Italy).

[@electrictroy2010]

If first ingredient is Wine Vinegar then it has 49% or less of the Grape Must that makes it a true balsamic. It’s just pure vinegar with some must flavor added

[@RG-tt1ru]

Lengthy, but not verbose.

[@robertsherman9975]

Please correct me if I’m misguided. I was taught, that traditional Balsamic vinegar, is produced in Modena, Italy. Using 100% grape must and aged a minimum of 12 years, as well as, up to 50 years. Other Balsamic vinegar that are certified. Must be produced in Modena, with only regional grape must grown only from 3 distinct varieties. With the addition of wine vinegar. Including a minimum of 60 days of fermentation. Many producers of Balsamic vinegar use a grading system for quality. They use a 3 leaf system.

[@truebalsamic305]

Real balsamic viengar can be made both in Modena and Reggio Emilia. You are correct that it is always made using grape must and aged for a minimum of 12 years. The balsamic vinegar you are describing (made with only 60 days of fermentation) is the quicker and easier method I described in the video.

[@KalvinMauveMusic]

I thought my kirkland maybe shite. great video. Nice humble man, You got my subscription. Thank you

[@jakethemedic1]

Interesting video. I'd just like to add the condiment-grade balsamic, that which contains red wine vinegar, is just fine for salad dressing, marinades, and a lot of sauces where it's simply another ingredient, and in many cases is preferred to DOP balsamic. Even a decent PGI can be found for not too expensive a price and works well in a reduction where you may be adding several other flavors. Would you use a DOP, traditional-grade, ultra-premium balsamic a half-cup at a time to marinate $2/lb boneless skinless chicken breast? Food for thought :)

[@truebalsamic305]

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the video. In some of my other content I explain all of this but I definitely plan on making some videos about it as well. I totally agree though with what you said on how to use it. I always emphasize that you're not going to want to waste (particularly an older balsamic vinegar aged 20+ years) on salads, marinades etc. In fact, for the most part, its best to just drizzle it over something after its cooked because heat can destroy a lot of the flavor. I wanted to keep this video short and open people's mind to the idea that there's something very diffferent out there that they're missing out on with the typical IGP balsamic vinegar. Naturally the next step is explaining how to use it and make the most of it!

[@jesusharvestlife]

Just ordered all 3 types. Cannot wait to try them! We will post on our YT soon

[@truebalsamic305]

Thank you. I hope you enjoyed!

[@clayrauch9718]

Hello, I am interested in finding out why Giuseppe Giusti (one of the highly praised BV) uses aged wine vinegar and cooked grape. Are they not real BV.? They have a 100yr old bottle for close to 1k. What is your take on this?

[@truebalsamic305]

Giuseppe Giusti is a bit complicated because they have a massive line of products that vary drastically. Traditionally, balsamic vinegar is not made using wine vinegar. However in some ways there is a spectrum to this. Some producers may use a small amount relative to the ratio of the products often found in the grocery store. While the quality of that product using only a small amount isn't going to match one made without wine vinegar, it will still outperform those that use much greater quanitities of it. Making what I refer to as "real balsamic vinegar" is an intensive proccess and it isn't really done on mass scale. So some of these larger companies will have a mix of both in their product line. What you will find is products that utilize wine vinegar and can be offered at cheaper prices along with their award winning products that don't.

[@clayrauch9718]

@@truebalsamic305 Thank you.

[@clayrauch9718]

So are you saying Giuseppe Giusti is not real Balsamic Vinegar when it says Made from the must of cooked sundried grapes and aged wine vinegar? Just curious because I know they are one of the leaders in BV having won many medals. Maybe it was just a lower end version?

[@Giwu2021]

Fascinating! where can I learn more?

[@truebalsamic305]

Thank you! I've written a lot about it on my blog. You can find it here -> truebalsamic.com/blogs/learn-more

[@iTakeCash]

Damn there's no way. I've been buying some balsamic vinegar for months now that only contains grape must as the first ingredient and wine vinegar as the second. The taste is sweet, almost like raisins so I thought I was getting something real and somewhat healthy. How would I know if it has other added ingredients like colorings and sugars? Do they mix those in with the grape musts so therefore they don't have to put it in the labeling or something? Also, would red wine vinegar taste the same?

[@Icewing10]

Does this have a lot of sugar in it or nothing at all?

[@Shanedawson248]

This is very informative. Looking forward to trying it!

[@truebalsamic305]

I'm glad it was helpful! Thank you for watching!

[@TEXAS2459]

Very nice short n sweet video, very rare these days. thankyou for that, HOWEVER, where in USA do i get the real deal or how do i get it. Can u help me.plz. I live in TX near dallas, let me know where i can get it Ty.

[@truebalsamic305]

I import it directly from a small vineyard in Reggio Emilia, Italy. You can find it at truebalsamic.com

[@TEXAS2459]

@@truebalsamic305 awesome ty.

[@jamalhassan901]

Can u make a video of how a supermarket balsamic vinegar is made ? How does wine vinegar comes in the picture?

[@robertnasser9937]

Been to Italy twice, and yes, real is expensive even there. Same with real olive oil.

[@X1GenKaneShiroX]

Italy should start making 2 milliliters bottles and 5 milliliters real balsamic vinegar bottles selling for around $5-$10 per bottle.

[@zerooneonetwothree1872]

Damn, i just came from Italy and brought Monari Federzoni "balsamico". Tho it was 2,7€ around 3 usd for 500ml. Im my country (Serbia), its 4 TIMES MORE EXPENSIVE xD Thats sad, considering Italy is close to us and we have 5 times smaller salaries.

[@bmc9504]

I look forward to trying it, just saw it's quite easily accessible here in the UK, even the Supermarket's premium brand is true balsamic vinegar while others have both vinegar and must. Also, look into the olive oil scandal if that interests you. Italy can't produce enough olive oil so it has to get a large percentage of olives/oil from Spain, gangs/money grabbers got involved and was cut with vegetable oil. Even the most expensive brands from Italy aren't truly Italian or are even fully olive oil.

[@jesusharvestlife]

Love this INFO and we are big fan of BV 🎉

[@truebalsamic305]

Thank you!

[@MAchaar]

Thank you for all information, I just bought two bottles of this vinegar from your website . Let’s see.

[@truebalsamic305]

Thank you! I hope you are enjoying!

[@barcafan1941]

How was the balsamic vinegar you bought? I'm assuming by now you've finished it?

[@johnallen9192]

Very informative. True Balsamic is the best balsamic vinegar I've ever tasted! The quality is 100% worth the price.

[@truebalsamic305]

Thank you!

[@monicanaranjo507]

Omg I just placed my order. So excited 🎉🎉🎉🎉😁

[@mrs.p4349]

Wow! This is soooo informative. Thank you.

[@truebalsamic305]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@syntaxerorr]

Interesting facts I never knew about.

[@fkarmadi]

0:55 not true unless he knows more about balsamic vinegar than the organization that certifies balsamic vinegar itself.

[@Tee55118]

Basically, the only truth is found on the ingredients list. My bottle lists must first, wine second, and sulfites third. So it's better than listing wine first and must second. Also it does not say tradizionale. So, i know what im getting; but, i still overpaid. I need a bottle that says tradizionale and ingredients that list must olone with neither more nor less wine vinegar. So, this is helpful. I now know that my $59 bottle of IGP is worth but $5. My next question is whether the mafia has taken over Modena balsamic vinegar like it has EVOO, (all EVOO is fake except any California, one italian name, and one Greek name.)

[@SheldonBeldon]

I simply “must” try authentic balsamic

[@haircole]

What s spoiler . This kid is not fun .

[@wolfyklip]

I just spent 300 on real vinegar from china.

[@eddys-og3rq]

Ballz amic vinegor

[@Kwippy]

The Wikipedia page on balsamic vinegar is quite helpful. The "tradizionale" true balsamic vinegar with no wine vinegar is hard to find and not likely to cost less than $100 a bottle. Even premium brand like Giuseppe Giusti at $50 a bottle contains wine vinegar.

[@Tee55118]

Wikipedia is so left wing it makes Obama look like the John Birch society.

[@truebalsamic305]

It's incredibly difficult to find! I started importing balsamic vinegar because I wanted to be able to offer real balsamic vinegar (zero added wine vinegar) at a reasonable price.

[@monsterenergyaxe]

Your website does not render correctly in firefox or chrome.

[@truebalsamic305]

Hm that's odd. Thank you for the heads up! If you don't mind me asking did the issue persist or were you able to get it working? I unfortunately can't seem to be able to replicate it.

[@rkroehl1]

@@truebalsamic305 Android Chrome 102.0.5005. When your page first loads, a lot of words are missing. For example, on the very first image is a white box, but the words "shop now" are missing. If I click on the white box then the browser goes to that link and the site starts working as expected.. meaning all of the words that were missing are now showing.

[@truebalsamic305]

I will definitely look into how I can fix that. Thank you so much!

[@KCKCroat]

The best balsamic in the world is not Italian.

[@ThinkingBiblically]

A schill for E.U. protectionism.

[@iTakeCash]

What do you mean?