Traditional Balsamic Vinegar from Reggio Emilia Silver Label.
Silver Label has usually been aged 6 or 7 years longer than the Aragosta Label Vinegar. It's more concentrated and has a lower acidity, giving it a sweet and sour taste that is as gorgeous as it is complex, making it perfect for use straight out of the bottle uncooked but also with almost any first or second course.
Its intense and rich perfume is a marvellous addition to mayonnaise and sauces for boiled meats or fish. It is perfect for cold pasta or rice salads and with foie gras .
It is also great with aged cheeses, Parmigiano Reggiano especially.
As a cooking ingredient, it is a tasty companion for steaks and is precious with risottos, especially those made with vegetables or langostini.
ATTENTION: some stores and web stores sells "100 years" or "50 years" aged balsamic vinegar. That is not true: if you pay close attention to the labels, you can read "100 travasi" or "50 travasi", the translation from italian is "100 decantings" or "50 decantings", the vinegar inside is NOT 100 or 50 years old.
To safeguard the quality of the product and protect the consumer was formed The Consortium of Producers of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar from Reggio Emilia and in 2000 The European Community added Traditional Balsamic Vinegar from Reggio Emilia to the list of products with a Designated Protected Origin.
To protect consumers, this prestigious award requires products to be subjected to inspections by a Certification Institute recognized by the European Union and authorized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.
The certificate authorizing the sale of the product will only be issued after they have verified its compliance with production standards.
The Consortium decided that Traditional Balsamic Vinegar from Reggio Emilia should only be sold in a special bottle: another way to prevent confusion among consumers and the possibility of fraud and imitations by unauthorized vinegar producers.
The Consortium also decided on Three categories of Balsamic Vinegar and three corresponding labels: Oro (Gold) , Argento (Silver) , Aragosta (Lobster or Red). The master tasters decide in which categories belongs the Balsamic Vinegar. The three coloured labels refer to the score given to the vinegar by the tasters after they have judged the appearance, aroma and taste of each vinegar.
The production standards stipulate that the product must be aged for at least 12 years before it can be sent for official tasting by the tasting committee; it also has to be put into the special bottle in the province of Reggio Emilia and must have the guarantee of the wax seal.