Whatever you do, don’t confuse the balsamic vinegar that you can purchase for five bucks at the local market for the sensational, traditional aged balsamic vinegar of Reggio Emilia in Modena, Italy.  This stuff rules! This balsamic vinegar is made from pressed grapes that are cultivated in the traditional manner in the province of Reggio Emilia.  It is then cooked over an open flame, cooled, and aged in a rotation of wood casks for a minimum of 12 years.  As the vinegar ages, it evaporates and condenses. 

Then the annual tasting begins, where a committee rates the vinegar and, on the basis of the score, if deemed acceptable, it qualifies with a red, silver, or gold tag in increasing order of quantity.  The bottle is then properly sealed with sealing wax.       

Numerous testimonials to the quality of balsamic vinegar can be found in the dowry lists of noble Reggio Emilia families in the 1800s.  In that era, in fact, it was considered proper for noblewomen who were to be wedded to enrich their dowries with bottles of prized balsamic vinegar. You can purchase aged balsamic vinegar with these qualities that has been aged as little as 12 years or as many as 100 years.  The older it is, the smoother and more syruplike it is.  All aged balsamic vinegars should have a dark brown color that is clear and shiny.  Its bouquet should be fragrant with pleasant acidity, and the flavor should be well-blended, sweet, and sharp.  You can find younger balsamic )12 to 20 years old) at the supermarket.  For the older versions, you will probably need to go to a gourmet food shop or even a gourmet mail order catalogue, such as Dean and Deluca or Williams-Sonoma (see Chapter 20 for more information about these catalogues, or Chapter 13 for online sources of balsamic vinegar.