Wine’s Other Self

Wine’s “other self” is vinegar. One of the two best vinegars in the world is Italy’s traditional balsamic vinegar (the other is Spain’s solera-aged Sherry vinegar). Needless to say, the inexpensive “balsamic vinegar” you find in a supermarket is decidedly not great. It’s just ordinary red wine vinegar that’s been sweetened and colored with caramel. Real balsamic vinegar is made only in Emilia-Romagna, just north of Tuscany, around the towns of Modena and Reggio. It’s labeled aceto balsamico tradizionale di Modena or di Reggio, and the Italian government grants it a DOP, Denomination of Protected Origin, equivalent to DOC status for wines. Price is always a tip-off: A small 3-ounce vial of balsamico tradizionale can be $100 or more. For many Italians, the most godly of all culinary combinations is a chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese moistened with a few drops of an especially lush, old, traditional balsamic vinegar.

One Minute on: Letting Kids Drink Wine

“I began with the desire to create a “First Growth of California.” The plan needed to be clear enough for direction but sufficiently flexible to evolve as we learned. We needed first to identify, capture, and cultivate great land; to assemble a team with a shared vision; to foster a strong culture; and to build a winegrowing domain that could last for centuries.”

—Bill Harlan, proprietor of Harlan Estate, Napa Valley

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