Review: Balsamic Vinegar (based on Cooks Illustrated Survey)

[JLS]

In the latest Cooks Illustrated, they tested and rated Balsamic Vinegars. The highest rated was the Whole Foods Brand (365) Balsamic Vinegar of Modena (the article stated that all vinegars will state they are from Modena).

I bought some and used it tonight in some pasta, and it was EXCELLENT !!! I think the price was $3.79 (here in DC).


I thought I would let everyone know...considering someone usually posts periodically looking for recommendations.

[Laura B]

JLS, I also bought some of the 365 Balsamic after reading the Cook's Illustrated review. I think it is excellent, as well. I still have quite a few bottles of Fini left to get through, but I may switch to 365 when I'm done with the other. I mean, who would prefer to pay $11 instead of $3.50? Not me!

[jliah]

Where do you buy this kind of balsamic vinegar (Whole Foods Brand)? I also wondered where I can buy sherry vinegar. I can't find any store in my area that carries sherry vinegar.

Thanks for your help.

[JLS]

Jliah,

The Whole Foods brand (365) is the store brand of Fresh Fields, Whole Foods, and a few other stores. The company name I think is Whole Foods. Their website is www.wholefoodsmarket.com.

I checked the website and the locations of the Whole Foods stores in Michigan are Ann Arbor, Rochester Hills, Troy, and West Bloomfield. ( I am not sure where St. Joseph is.)

Good luck! (If you do a search on the board regarding "whole foods" or "Fresh Fields" stores...you will see that everyone loves the stores!!)

[SusanL]

I have a bottle downstairs, not sure what brand, but I use that in addition to my dark balsamic. When I make a salad with mesculin, I usually use the white. Also, when I pack a salad for work, I use the white, it doesn't look as stained? Oh no, I think I sound like my DH:eek:

[heatherfeather]

About sherry vinegar - I believe several major brand name makers of vinegar also have a sherry vinegar. Heinz and Regina brands are rather common in most groceries I have been in - perhaps if you asked your grocery store manager to carry sherry vinegar in a brand they already carry, you might see it appear on the shelves. I have often asked grcoery stores to carry products with positive results. Another option would be to substitute rice wine vinegar (found in Asian section of grocery). It is also a sweet vinegar and lots of Asian recipes I have that call for rice wine vinegar say to use sherry vinegar as a substitute. You could also use white balsamic vinegar or champagne vinegar - but if you can't find sherry vinegar, then i have a feeling those won't be available to you either.

[jliah]

Thanks so much for the information!! I think I'll follow your advice about seeing if our store will carry these products.

[gertdog]

Thanks to this thread, I sought out a Fresh Fields market while visiting Philadelphia just so I could purchase the Whole Foods 365 balsamic vinegar (bonus: I also found Better than Boullion Mushroom base).

WOW! What a difference! I did a taste test with the 365 vinegar against my cheapo Flora balsamic (although actually the same price as the 365)... no question that 365 wins there. I also tested against my expensive, only-for-special-recipes vinegar, and it won there too. And it was $3.99!
My taste test was not very scientific, as it consisted of me sitting in the kitchen with some good italian bread and saucers of balsamic vinegar mixed with a bit of olive oil and cracked black pepper. :p But hey, it was fun!

Thanks for the recommendation!