Outstanding Vinegar 2009: Ritrovo Selections Aged Balsamic Vinegar

After living in Rome for six years initially to teach English, Ritrovo founders Ilyse Rathet and Ron Post came back to the States with educated palates and a list of premier Italian food and wine producers. “We started this company out of the incredible love for what we found,” explains Rathet.  

Through courses with Slow Food and frequent travel in Italy, Ron and Ilyse became well versed in Italian cuisine and formed tight-knit relationships with the small-scale and organic producers who make up Ritrovo Selections.  

The Aged Balsamic Vinegar marks Ritrovo’s third sofi™ Gold. (Tuscan White Bean Appetizer and Truffle and Salt condiment won for 2001 Pasta, Rice, Bean or Soup  and 2005 Savory Condiment, Pasta Sauce, Cooking Enhancer, Salsa or Spice, respectively).

The Maletti family, based in the Italian province of Modena, produces the balsamic with locally sourced grape musts from Lambrusco and Trebbiano varietals. Combining the musts with red wine vinegar, the Malettis innovative aging process naturally promotes regulated evaporation in French Allier oak barrels. This gives the six-year balsamic a mature taste that can be mistaken for a ten- or 12-year balsamic. “Its finesse and perfection is in the aftertaste,” Rathet explains. Unlike cheaper varieties that leave a burnt artificial aftertaste, she notes, Ritrovo’s absence of caramel and added preservatives provide a smoother finish.

While Rathet says that their balsamic is “a straight-forward, high-quality Italian raw material, Ritrovo is proud to have brought to market a best of class product that an average consumer can use, afford and appreciate.” Suggested retail price: $30/8.5-ounce. http://www.ritrovo.com.—D. Marrero