Sparrow Lane — 15-Year Aged Balsamic Vinegar

Fifteen years in wood. Use it by the teaspoon, not the tablespoon.

Aged balsamic is made by cooking grape must down and letting it age in a series of wooden barrels, losing water and gaining depth every year. After fifteen years it's thick, glossy and sweet enough that it's a finishing vinegar, not a dressing base. A few drops do what a spoonful of young balsamic can't. Imported and bottled by Sparrow Lane, with no dyes or artificial preservatives.

Who this is for

• Shaved parmesan, a few drops on each piece
• Strawberries, peaches, figs and vanilla ice cream
• Grilled steak or a good tomato with nothing else on it
• A gift for someone who cooks
• Anyone who has only had supermarket balsamic and wants to know what the fuss is about

Details

6.75 oz / 200 ml glass bottle. Imported. Shelf stable. Don't cook with it; heat destroys exactly what you paid for.

Bottled by Sparrow Lane in Ceres, just south of Modesto, makers of chef-grade vinegars since their start in Napa Valley over eighteen years ago.