Rosé Vinegar from Italy

La Vecchia Dispensa has been the acetaia, or balsamic vinegar maker, behind our house balsamic for nearly three decades. My guess is, if you’re reading this, you’ve probably got a bottle of their vinegar in your kitchen. Nearly all our customers do.

I’m writing today with what counts as breaking news in the ultra slow moving balsamic world: Simone, the 4th generation leading Vecchia, is making the family's first vinegar that’s not
balsamic. When he described his decision to me it felt almost existential. I guess that’s the kind of thing you experience when your family has made one kind of vinegar for 120 years.

I tried the rosé vinegar last summer for the first time. It’s a stunner: soft and sweet in a way that hints of balsamic, but with a gentle tickle of acidity that gives it a more classic vinegar structure. The base is the Lambrusco Grasparossa wine grape, farmed around the village of Castelvetro where Vecchia’s aging house is located. The wine is converted naturally to vinegar, then a bit of cooked grape juice, called "must" in the balsamic world, is added to sweeten it up. (Simone likes to note that he calls it a condiment, not vinegar, due to this step.) The added must also lowers the acidity, giving it a gentle flavor that I think you’ll become very fond of. Last but not least, for me, Simone ages it in stainless steel, which preserves its gorgeous, pale pink color. He bottles it in clear glass to show it off. Frankly, I find it a bit mesmerizing.

I’ll go out on a limb and predict you’ll love this vinegar and find a million ways to plow through a bottle. Salads, naturally, but try a spritz in soups, in stews, deglazing pans. Simone mixes a cup with shallots, olive oil, salt and white pepper for a simple chicken marinade.