You’re in for a Treat This Week

Delight your senses with Sigona’s Summertime Peach White Balsamic

If you’re a fan of Sigona’s olive oil, it’s likely you’ve tried our balsamics, too. This week we’re giving you a taste of one of our white balsamics: Sigona’s Summertime Peach White Balsamic. We’re giving you a 200 ml bottle for free with your coupon. If the name Summertime Peach doesn’t sound delicious enough, just wait until you try it.

Most people are more familiar with the dark reddish-brown balsamic, but there is also a white balsamic that is lighter in color and flavor. The most surprising fact about white balsamic is that it’s made from the same grapes as the more familiar, darker balsamic…and those grapes are white!

These sweet, white Trebbiano grapes are grown in the northern region of Italy near Modena, the city listed on the label of most balsamics.

The difference in the end result boils down to, well, boiling. Grapes used to make balsamic are left on the vine for as long as possible to allow the sugars to develop. Once harvested and juiced, the grape juice (or ‘must’ in balsamic-speak) is then boiled down. While the must for regular balsamic is then simmered between 180 and 190 F for a time, white balsamic vinegar is cooked at high pressure to prevent caramelization, giving the vinegar a golden color and gentler flavor.

Also, regular balsamic is aged for years in wooden barrels (the longer, the more fancy it is considered to be) while most white balsamics are aged for about a year to help preserve the light color and flavor.

As it is lighter in color, white balsamic is generally used for aesthetic reasons when the darker color of the regular balsamic could possibly spoil the look of a perfectly prepared dish. Our Summertime Peach White Balsamic is light, sweet, but not too sweet, and perfect for a variety of recipes, from salads to sauces to fish or grilled shrimp. See the “In the Kitchen with Sigona’s” box for a few recipes.