The aceto is then aged in a series of wooden barrels made from different types of wood, including chestnut, oak, cherry, and mulberry.

The barrel set is a series of at least five wooden casks arranged according to a decreasing size scale, where the product undergoes profound changes over time. Some condimentos may contain a little wine vinegar to balance the acidity, but if wine vinegar is the first ingredient, you're looking at generic vinegar sweetened with balsamic must, not balsamic must balanced with a little vinegar. Today, the Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Reggio Emilia is considered one of the prestigious symbols of Made in Italy gastronomic excellence. Its intense and rich aroma, with a gentle tendency to sweet, is enhanced to raw on sweet or savory dishes.

The Balsamic vinegar typical colour is in fact obtained through the aging process and by using cooked must. Identification: Traditional balsamic vinegar is always labelled Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale and carries a D. The ageing of a minimum of 20 years makes its aroma delicate and pleasantly acid; this complex bittersweet taste sensation makes it ideal to be used raw or to cook many second courses.

Because the production of traditional balsamic is so tightly defined and regulated, there is a certain appreciable clarity to its categorization. The vinegar gets thicker and more concentrated as it ages because of evaporation that occurs through the walls of the barrels—the vinegar in the smallest barrel will be much thicker and more syrupy than the liquid in the successively larger barrels.At the end of the aging period (12, 18 or 25 years), a small portion is drawn from the smallest cask, and each cask is then topped up with the contents of the preceding (next larger) cask. The particular persistence of the taste makes it perfect as an elixir at the end of a meal, but its extraordinary organoleptic richness lends itself to surprising and memorable combinations with cheeses and desserts. The thickness is given by the sugar content, aging leads to water evaporation and therefore increase of sugar levels and thickness.