Dear Lover of Fine Food,

I recently returned from the annual pilgrimage with my Merry Band of Tasters along the European Vinegar Trail. Oh, what treasures we’ve brought back for you!

Adventuring through Italy, Austria, and Spain, we were on a mission to discover the best four selections among Europe’s most revered handcrafted artisanal vinegars. For our all-new 2027 best-of-the-best collection, we narrowed down more than a hundred contenders and chose the top four—extraordinary master-made vinegars that will take your culinary creations to new heights of flavor and delight.

Last year’s four selections proved to be a smash hit among home cooks. I suspect the same will happen with this year’s selections because there’s just nothing like these amazing vinegars in US stores. And the supplies we secure are always limited.

The short answer is age and deep, rich, complex flavors.

Supermarket vinegars are made in huge volume using high-speed machinery to produce vinegar in just one to three days.

Sadly, with this high-speed process, the vinegar never reaches its flavor potential because it isn’t given time to develop the innate characteristics of the ingredients—the wine or fruit, namely—from which it is made.

In contrast, artisanal vinegars are created by masters who start with fine wine or luscious fruit. Then they lovingly age their vinegars for years in wooden barrels. This unhurried, traditional process preserves and deepens the flavors of the original ingredients. The result is vinegar with deep, rich character and complex flavor. As you’ll taste for yourself, this makes all the difference when you add it to your favorite salads, stews, soups, sauces, desserts, and more.

As a professionally trained chef, I’m a vinegar purist, old-fashioned in my tastes. That’s why, when members of the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club began clamoring for properly aged artisanal vinegars to complement their extra virgin olive oils, I set out to find the best that Mother Nature makes, helped along, of course, by the artisans at the great vinegar houses. I think of them as vinegar vintners because they do the same exacting work that wine vintners do.

I’ll introduce you to them in a moment. But first…

As an acid, vinegar brings lively brightness and zest to dishes in the same way a squeeze of lemon does. But a lemon offers just one flavor. Each of the four vinegars in my curated collection has a unique and deliciously complex flavor profile. Just like a professional chef, you’ll now have a whole new palette of interesting new tastes to enhance a vast range of culinary creations. You’ll have so much fun and enjoyment discovering the possibilities. For example:

Delicious Sauces in a Jiffy—with Deglazing. Use any of these vinegars instead of (or even in addition to) wine to deglaze a pan and turn the fond (the crisp brown bits left after sautéeing) into a rich and quick sauce.

Mouthwatering Enhancements of Classic Dishes. Vinegar is an amazing addition to beurre blanc and béarnaise, to name just two classic butter sauces. With sugar, it creates the ultimate sweet-and-sour sauce known as gastrique.

Juicier Grilled Meats When Marinating. Because vinegar is acidic, it helps break down and tenderize protein fibers, for juicier grilled meats.

Deeper Flavors from Pickling. These vinegars don’t merely preserve foods but also impart a much more delectable tartness.

Drizzles That Dazzle. A few drops of any of these vinegars will enhance just about any dish, from a risotto to a charcuterie plate to berries and ice cream.

Fast and Fantastic Finishes. With just a single splash, you’ll add such flavorful notes to finish a tossed salad or braised greens. In seconds, you can elevate any soup or stew from good enough to glorious. You’ll have so many interesting ways to transform your marinades, vinaigrettes, sauces, desserts—and even your cocktails and mocktails!

As you may have noticed, from corner pubs to the highest-end restaurants, the popularity of artisanal vinegar cocktails and mocktails is exploding. You’ll understand why when you try the recipes I’ll provide for my favorite “Shrub Coolers.”

Shrub is an old-fashioned sugar-and-vinegar syrup that’s having a renaissance. The two recipes I’ll share with you are a fabulous alternative to lemonade and other coolers. Enjoy them as mocktails or—to turn them into killer cocktails—just add a jigger of your favorite spirit.

And we’re just getting started!

In fact, nothing will inspire your creativity in the kitchen more than the combination of fresh-pressed olive oils and your new 2027 collection of world-class vinegars.

Move over, salt and pepper—vinegar and olive oil are in the house to enliven your dishes! 

Having a wide—and growing—selection of vinegars in the kitchen gives you so many more taste options. Sometimes I want a sweeter note, other times one that’s more tart. While each of this collection’s vinegars can be used to enhance many of the same foods, from salads to sautés, you’ll get a different flavor profile from each:

Condimento all“Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP” Barili Exclusivi adds sweet richness and complexity to foods, especially as a finishing touch. 

Tomato Vinegar is crafted from ripe red tomatoes and delivers the right amount of acidity for a sweet-tart taste.

Pedro Ximénez Reserve Sherry Vinegar has a sweetness with mild acidity for depth and brightness. 

Condimento Bianco Timo is a blend of white cooked grape must and white wine vinegar, enhanced with thyme for a fresh herbal flavor.

In the special Vinegar Report that accompanies your 2027 vinegar collection, I’ll give you all the guidance you’ll need to use each vinegar like a master chef.

With the four exceptional vinegars in this collection, you’ll have so much fun discovering a wide variety of pairings that you, your family, and guests will relish in the months ahead.

And now let me introduce you to the four top vinegars I and my Merry Band of Tasters have sourced for you this year…

• Vinegar Variety: Condimento all“Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP” Barili Exclusivi
  
• Flavor Profile: Rich and sweet
  
• Producer: Società Agricola Acetomodena, Modena, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
  
• Vinegar Vintner: Paolo Vecchi

What began as a hobby for family patriarch Paolo Vecchi has grown into Società Agricola Acetomodena, a thriving, quality-focused enterprise celebrated with international awards. Acetomodena is located in the heart of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy, a food haven known for Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, Parma ham, and, of course, balsamic vinegar. Indeed, all true balsamic vinegars must come from Modena. Acetomodena even grows its own Lambrusco and Trebbiano grapes, which are the only permitted varieties. (There are two consortiums in Modena to make sure all the rules are adhered to!) 

With so many bottles on supermarket and gourmet shop shelves labeled “balsamic,” it’s important to know how true Aceto Balsamico is made. The highest designation is Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale DOP (Denominazione di Origine Protetta or Protected Designation of Origin), which can take generations to make and is wildly expensive because it’s crafted exclusively from cooked grape must (the result of cooking down all parts of the grapes) and aged for a minimum of 12 years, sometimes 25 or longer. A few ounces cost well over a hundred dollars, so it’s not used for cooking or making vinaigrettes but for drizzling sparingly as a finishing touch. 

The other important balsamic is Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP (Indicazione Geografica Protetta or Protected Geographical Indication). It’s made from grape must and wine vinegar and aged in wooden barrels for at least two months. Acetomodena’s IGP is made in an artisanal fashion, aged in barrels with a maximum volume of 300 liters (about 80 gallons) for as long as three years. It gets sweeter and more harmonious as it achieves the perfect ratio of density to acidity. 

Mass producers, in contrast, take an industrial route, rapidly boiling down the grape must (imparting the flavor of burnt toast in the process), rather than reducing it slowly and with great patience. They tend to use only the minimum amount of grape must, blended with a high percentage of wine vinegar and aged in giant 40,000- to 50,000-liter barrels. The result is a product that lacks the quality and taste of a finely crafted vinegar. 

Every year, I work with manager Gary Paton to further expand the taste profile. This year’s Condimento all“Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP” Barili Exclusivi—meaning “from exclusive barrels”—is exquisitely sweet and rich. Note that the “Condimento” designation allows producers more freedom to craft a vinegar that goes beyond strict IGP requirements to achieve a unique creation. 

As Gary explained, “This is a carefully curated blend of three of our most important products: fine Goccio Oro balsamic vinegar IGP, itself a blend of 80% cooked grape must and 20% wine vinegar aged for three years in small barrels of 220 liters; our Condimento Oro Supremo, made only of cooked grape must and aged even longer, allowing it to go through more of the natural fermentation processes of a DOP; and our special in-house blend of cooked grape must and wine vinegar plus 20% of the Goccio Oro.” 

A key player on Gary’s team is Marco Sermolini, the cantiniere, or cellar master. Marco is not only an expert blender but also an expert on the vast array of barrels used for aging (contact with the wood imparts complex flavors and a richer texture) and on the equipment used to turn grapes into grape must. The result is a balsamic vinegar full of character and with layers of flavor. I liken this approach to when vintners create a cuvée, blending wines from various barrels to create a finished product that is greater than the sum of the parts. 

Impressions and Food Pairings: This vinegar has the perfect balance of acidity, sweetness from grape must, and woodiness from barrel aging. Inhale the aromas of blackberry jam, wild blueberries, dried sour cherries, and currants, followed by hints of dark chocolate, mint, vanilla pipe tobacco, leather, and toasted oak. Full-bodied, thick, rich, and velvety, its well-calibrated sweetness and tartness come in waves. There are notes of dried cherries, dark prunes, red currants, raisins, dark honey, pumpernickel bread, and toasted cherrywood. This vinegar is sweet, strong, luscious, and complex, with heady aromatics leading to a super-long and pleasantly tangy finish. 

Pair it with your fresh-pressed olive oils to enhance fresh and aged cheeses, to make a sauce for filet mignon alla Modena, and to create a refreshing mojito balsamico. Drizzle it over mozzarella pearls, charcuterie, warm potato salad with string beans, roasted beets, and tomatoes with a sprinkling of Maldon salt. It enhances fish, lamb, and egg dishes; risottos; strawberry-balsamic olive oil cake, pineapple carpaccio with vanilla ice cream, and flourless chocolate cake.

• Vinegar Variety: Tomato
  
• Flavor Profile: Fresh and zesty
  
• Producer: Gölles, Riegersburg, Styria, Austria
  
• Vinegar Vintner: David Gölles

For decades, the Gölles family has been tending orchards on their farm in the volcanic hills of Riegersburg in the southeastern Styria region of Austria. The family’s vinegar history goes back to the late 1950s, when Alois Gölles Sr. laid the cornerstone for today’s distillery and vinegar brewery. At that time, he had a small farm with three or four cows, a few pigs, and a couple of chickens, but then he became one of the first farmers in the area to cultivate apple trees.

During the ’60s, the farm animals were gradually replaced with orchards. He then began planting black currants to provide a second crop to supplement income. It was his son, Alois Jr., who went to school for winemaking and fruit processing.

Though the company has grown, it’s still a small, artisanal business with only about 25 employees, all of whom share the family’s passion for crafting the finest foodstuffs. “More than half have been with us for 10 or more years, and some for over 20 years,” said Alois Jr.’s son David, the third generation of the Gölles family involved in the business.

Until his dad’s retirement just a couple of years ago, David had headed up the distilled spirits project, the House of Whisky, Gin & Rum. “I’m in the lucky position that my parents started working with fruits and producing fruit schnapps and vinegars more than 40 years ago—and that, more than 20 years ago, we started experimenting with other ingredients, such as grains for the whiskey and molasses for the rum,” David said.

For this collection, I’ve chosen an entirely different vinegar from the sweeter ones we’ve included in the past. Most of the Gölles fruit vinegars spend years, sometimes decades, mellowing in old oak barrels, but the tomato vinegar takes a different path to endow it with a fresh and vibrant taste.

It starts with tomatoes picked at full ripeness from the estate’s best plots then gently pressed for their juice. That juice ferments naturally—sugars turn to alcohol first, then a mother of vinegar culture and a bit of oxygen coax the alcohol into acetic acid. Instead of in oak barrels, the vinegar rests for about a year in stainless steel tanks, a choice specifically meant to lock in brightness rather than having the vinegar pick up barrel notes. Nothing else goes into the bottle—just fermented, fully ripe tomato juice.

Though others have tried to copy the Gölles’s success, their attention to detail and their blending of Old-World techniques with the latest innovations keep them in the lead, a position they are sure to maintain under David’s leadership. His plans include finding more sustainable ways to grow organic fruits, an endeavor that requires quite a bit of forward thinking, since some of their vinegars are aged for 10 years. He’s also envisioning new fruits to include, with pomegranates high on the list. “I’m always looking for great ingredients like fruits that might be very seasonal, available for a short time, or in a limited quantity, and contemplating how to craft a limited edition of some kind from them,” David told me. I’m already excited about the possibilities. 

Impressions and Food Pairings: Inhale the intense tomato aroma—it’s like being in a summer tomato patch, with notes of sun-dried tomatoes; aromas of just-picked garden vegetables such as celery, carrots, and mustard greens; and scents of pear, dried tropical fruits, honey, fennel seed, and sweet basil. The flavor follows through with a rich, concentrated tomato profile, reminiscent of passata. It has the essence of a Bloody Mary, slightly astringent and salty, with the pleasant acidity of fresh lemon juice, along with green tomato, black pepper, and the tingle of celery leaves. It’s a wonderful balance of tanginess and fruity tomato character.

Tomato Vinegar is a must-have ingredient for dressings and sauces like cherry tomato vinaigrette, pico de gallo, zesty BBQ sauce, and béarnaise. It lends itself perfectly to so many cuisines, from Mexican guacamole to Italian panzanella. It adds just the right acidic note to chicken with mango salsa, pork medallions with blistered-tomato sauce, pasta sauces, and soups.

• Vinegar Variety: Pedro Ximénez Reserve Sherry Vinegar 
  
• Flavor Profile: Sweet and tangy
  
• Producer: Bodegas Páez Morilla, Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz, Spain
  
• Vinegar Vintner: The Páez Morilla family and Raúl F. Guerrero, PhD

Spain is legendary for its sherry, which can only be produced inside a small area within the province of Cádiz in the southwestern part of Andalucía, a romantic region also known for flamenco and majestic horses.

I remember my first visit—more than 20 years ago—to the famous “sherry triangle” that connects the three cities of El Puerto, Sanlúcar, and Jerez. Jerez is home to Bodegas Páez Morilla, and, thanks to the efforts of four generations of the Páez family, the region is now also known for its delectable sherry vinegar.

Keeper of the family flame is Esperanza Ramirez Páez, the company’s export manager. Esperanza’s great-grandfather, Don Francisco Páez Sánchez, was a vintner in the early 20th century. Her grandfather, Don Antonio Páez Lobato, saw the potential in sherry vinegar and decided to bring it to the world stage back in 1940. Until then, it was created and enjoyed only by winery owners, their family members, and close acquaintances. “He had the idea that if the sherry wine is a high-quality wine, the vinegar from this wine will be high quality too,” Esperanza told me.

Making vinegar is a time-honored tradition that can’t be rushed, but to achieve a new level of perfection, oenologist Raúl F. Guerrero was brought in to take charge of production. With a PhD in oenology from the University of Cádiz and advanced study at the Australian Wine Research Institute, he translated all his knowledge to vinegar production when he joined Bodegas Páez Morilla. “I’m fascinated by the fermentation process—you need an understanding of plant biology since the grapes go to grape must and then wine, and of microbiology because of the bacteria needed to turn the wine into vinegar,” said Raúl.

Though the right grapes are instrumental to making sherry vinegar, so are the wooden barrels where the fermentation takes place. Don Antonio started by sourcing aged barrels from area wineries that were going to discard them after a wine failed—he was a recycling pioneer! “Our barrels are old barrels—some dating back to 1936—and that makes a big difference. Sherry vinegar needs time, and we have time on our side today because of how long ago my grandfather started the process,” Esperanza said.

There are three sizes of barrels—250 liters or media, 500 liters or bota, and 1,000 liters or bocoy. “Each size changes the relationship between the vinegar surface area and its contact surface with the wood. The smaller the barrel, the more contact, and that creates subtle differences in the finished product,” said Raúl. 

“Using 1,000-liter barrels makes for a drier vinegar; the 250-liter ones, a sweeter one. Each barrel is kept 70% to 75% full to create more contact with air. The fermentation is very slow, which also adds to the flavor of the vinegars. It’s that combination of barrel-aging and slow fermentation, plus the temperature in the vinegar room, that encourages the transfer between the wood cells and the vinegar and creates exceptional taste.” Sherry vinegar is classified by how long it has been barrel-aged: Vinagre de Jerez with a six-month minimum; Reserva with a two-year minimum; and Gran reserva with a 10-year minimum. 

To meet the standards for DOP (Denominación de Origen Protegida, or Protected Designation of Origin), only certain grapes can be used to make sherry vinegar, such as palomino, most commonly used, and the sweeter muscatel, but ours is a special reserva of Pedro Ximénez or “PX” grapes, a white grape variety left in the sun longer than usual to concentrate its sugars and give the taste and deep color of raisins. And it’s a customized blend of PX vinegars from the two smallest-sized barrels for a sweeter rather than drier taste.

Impressions and Food Pairings: This sherry vinegar is in a class by itself. On the nose, there are aromas of butterscotch, brown butter, caramel, toasted almonds, vanilla, prunes, cinnamon, and raisin bread, along with hints of honeysuckle, dried cherries, and celery seed.

With a beautiful cognac color, its sweetness and acidity are very well calibrated. It has a powerful character that’s elegant and smooth in the mouth. Gently astringent with notes of sultana raisins, tamarind, figs, ginger spice, maple syrup, roasted mixed nuts, and the slight smokiness of toasted oak, it has the elegance of a cream sherry.

A must for tarragon sauce, salsa verde, gazpacho, and corn & crab soup, it adds a subtle sweetness to reduction sauces, marinades, and pickling liquid. It will elevate dishes like potato & spinach frittata, herbed salmon, lamb, duck, red cabbage slaw, and other salads. A perfect foil for sweets, it adds flavorful notes to sauces like fruit coulis and to caramel & cream parfait.

• Vinegar Variety: Condimento Bianco Timo
  
• Flavor Profile: Herbal
  
• Producer: Società Agricola Acetomodena, Modena, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
  
• Vinegar Vintner: Paolo Vecchi

I always like to surprise with unexpected vinegars in my collection, and this thyme-infused vinegar does that to perfection. Its essence is a white vinegar made from specific grapes in Modena called Condimento Bianco, or white condiment. At Acetomodena, the grape must and the wine vinegar for their white condiment are made from their own famed Trebbiano grapes, which give it a unique light color. They omit the Lambrusco grapes that impart balsamic vinegar with its deep color, and the grape must isn’t cooked as long or at as high a temperature. 

That being said, Condimento Bianco is reminiscent of a fine balsamic because it’s crafted with the perfect ratio of two parts white cooked grape must to one part white wine vinegar. It’s a complex white wine vinegar in the sweet style of a balsamic, with wonderful aromatics and bright notes, light and refreshing, perfect for many types of salads and other dishes.

But I want to be clear about this unique vinegar. Unlike vinegars misleadingly labeled “white balsamic” that have all sorts of colorings and flavorings as additional ingredients, nothing else goes into this naturally sweet vinegar. In fact, in Italy, there is no such thing as “white balsamic”—it’s not a recognized premium vinegar by any standard. I also want to point out that, as with Acetomodena’s Barili Exclusivi, the Condimento Bianco is crafted as a small-batch vinegar. That sets it apart from so-called white balsamic from mass producers, vinegars that lack aroma and taste. 

This year, to create a unique taste sensation, I had the idea to infuse it with thyme to create my exclusive Condimento Bianco Timo (White Condiment with Thyme). Gorgeous thyme sprigs with an intoxicating herbal scent were added right at the time of bottling in a special controlled zone of the acetaia, the special complex where vinegar is made. The fresh herb offers a delicious counterpoint to the sweetness of the Condimento Bianco, adding earthy, woodsy notes as well as floral and citrus hints. 

To craft it, I once again collaborated with Acetomodena’s Simona Vincenzi and with Acetomodena manager Gary Paton. Though Simona’s official title is quality control manager, she’s so much more than that. An important figure when it comes to tasting, she’s both artistic and precise, orchestrating the very specific blend that I wanted and working closely with the thyme growers to ensure the highest quality for optimal taste. The sprigs you see in the bottle were handpicked in the Campagna region of Italy.

Impressions and Food Pairings: On the nose, you’ll appreciate the fragrant notes of fresh thyme, with hints of black pepper, sage, rosemary, parsley, and other culinary herbs; the smokiness of toasted cedar; and the scents of apple cider, vanilla, and bergamot. On the palate, the intense flavor of thyme gives way to clove, dried apricot, yuzu, honey; floral notes of chamomile; and woody notes from barrel aging. Complex and smooth, it’s the perfect blend of sweet and tart, like a finely aged white wine. Savor its warm and persistent finish, highlighted by the refreshing taste of mint, a cousin of thyme.

Use this vinegar whenever you want to add bright herbal notes along with a light sweetness. It’s delectable in herbal vinaigrette, herbal marinade, pickled cucumbers, marinated peppers, glazed carrots and onions, and other vegetables. It brings depth to beef bourguignon and stews as well as braises and casseroles and adds just the right amount of zest to lemon thyme sorbet. 

“The health-related benefits of vinegar aren’t a new phenomenon. Back in 400 B.C. the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates reportedly used fruit-derived vinegars to treat wounds, coughs and other ailments. Fast-forward to today, and vinegar is showing promise as a tool to improve blood sugar control and blood lipid (cholesterol) levels—perks that stem largely from the polyphenols and the acetic acid in vinegar, and the probiotics (health-promoting bacteria) that result from the fermentation process.”

“The scientific evidence of vinegar’s blood sugar benefits is strong and consistent,” reports Carol Johnston, RD, PhD, professor and assistant director of the School of Nutrition and Health Promotion at Arizona State University, Phoenix.

As Dr. Johnston explains, “A recent statistical analysis of the 11 best studies concluded that consuming vinegar with a meal, compared with having the same meal without vinegar, reduced postmeal blood sugar spikes by an average of 40%.

“Why this matters: Much of the metabolic damage caused by diabetes—and prediabetes—is caused by these spikes.

“Timing: For the best effect on blood sugar, consume vinegar at or near the start of a meal.… For the most reliable effect, dilute two tablespoons of vinegar in a glass of water and drink it with the first bites of the meal.”

In the months ahead, you’ll have so many opportunities to enhance your favorite autumn and winter dishes while trying the 30 kitchen-tested recipes I’ll include with your artisanal vinegar collection. Each meal can be a new adventure in elevated flavors.

All four vinegars in your collection are naturally free of fillers, gluten, soy, egg, dairy, nuts, and anything artificial.

Your purchase is covered by my ironclad, 100% money-back guarantee. If you do not fall madly in love with these artisanal vinegars, just say the word, and you’ll receive all your money back, no questions asked. And you won’t even have to return a single vinegar. All will be yours to keep.

My personally curated collection of artisanal vinegars is a one-time offer. It’s not a club, so you won’t receive any automatic shipments in the future. I have a very limited quantity of these sets. When they’re gone, they’re gone, and I am announcing them to all 30,000 members of our Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club.

I must ask that if you’d like one or more of these sets, please respond right away to avoid disappointment.

For years our Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club members have been quite vocal in their demand for vinegars as fine as our olive oils. To me, it’s always been a paradox that these two foods that match so perfectly on the plate must be crafted so differently on the farm! A great olive oil must be super fresh—right from the harvest—while a great vinegar takes time—often a lot of time—to achieve its full potential.

Luckily, the world of olive oil is closely tied to the world of vinegar. On my olive oil hunts over the years, I and my Merry Band of Olive Oil Tasters have gotten to know vinegar producers around the globe and have developed relationships, indeed friendships, with them.

I’m thrilled to be able to bring you the best vinegars I’ve ever tasted from the best of these producers. For this collection, I chose renowned makers in Europe, where crafting vinegar is a high art. Theirs are the vinegars I would bring home from my travels, stuffed into my suitcase, hoping I’d have enough to last until my next visit. I couldn’t be more thrilled to bring them to you now!

I can’t wait for you to experience these vinegars in your favorite dishes and in the 30 kitchen-tested recipes I’ll include in your all-new 2027 Vinegar Collection Report. In your report, I’ll also describe the complete heritage and pedigree of each vinegar. You’ll also meet the proud artisans who create these world-class vinegars and hear, in their own words, why they are so passionate about making vinegars that are esteemed as among the finest in the world.

I assure you, once you start enjoying these master-made artisanal vinegars, with their deep, rich, palate-awakening flavors as complex as the finest wines, you’ll never go back to the mass-produced, one-note wannabes that fill our supermarket vinegar shelves.

Tasting is believing. That is what I invite you to do now.

Happy Drizzling,

T. J. Robinson

Curated Culinary Selections