The balsamic vinegar has an inky, almost syrupy consistency and is balanced between acidic and sweet, with a rich dried-fruit undertone. Quality this high is best enjoyed straight, drizzled over most any grilled or roasted meat, roasted vegetables, cheeses or garden-fresh tomatoes. Or try as a counterpoint to sweet berries or vanilla ice cream.

This white balsamic from Acetaia Leonardi is aged for eight years in oak barrels, so its flavor is exceptionally smooth and rounded. We like its honeyed fruit undertones and full-bodied consistency, which comes from the aging process and is a key indicator of a vinegar's quality. The family producer has been making vinegar since 1871 and is one of the last in Modena, Italy, to grow the same grapes that they use to make their vinegar. Try using this vinegar for brightness in our White Balsamic and Tarragon Chicken or Belgian Mashed Potatoes with Winter Vegetables (Stoemp); it will sharpen flavors and add dimension without calling too much attention to itself the way other vinegars do. Or drizzling it over roasted vegetables, such as in our Roasted Carrots with Balsamic Raisins and Pine Nuts or Slow-Roasted Tomatoes. We like to use a couple tablespoons to deglaze the pan after roasting meats, scraping up the browned bits and finishing with butter. White balsamic vinegar even plays a key role in our Harissa, for a mild acidity as a counterpoint for the earthy spices in the hot pepper paste.

We like to think of these as balsamic caviar; when you bite into the pearls, all their volatile aromatic compounds are released at once so you can fully savor the depth and complexity of Acetaia Leonardi's authentic balsamic vinegar. It's a sharper, more immediate burst of acidity that highlights vinegar's vibrant intensity.

While Leonardi’s Gold Medal Balsamic Vinegar is one that we use sparingly, we use this high quality, well-priced Silver Medal version for everyday use. With its bold, sweet, tart and heady flavor, it will elevate any dish. And unlike many other balsamics, the viscosity that this vinegar offers allows it to coat and cling to foods better than lower-quality varieties. It has a strong grape must flavor that is instantly recognizable as good balsamic vinegar. Plus, it comes in a pretty bottle housed in a lovely sleeve that makes it gift-worthy for your favorite cook.

Described by our kitchen staff as tasting like “wine-soaked chocolate covered cherries,” Villa Manodori’s Dark Cherry Balsamic Vinegar of Modena IGP is thick, rich and luxurious. Led by 3-Michelin Star chef, Massimo Bottura, the Italian brand makes their authentic Modena balsamic using wooden barrels and juicy trebbiano wine grapes. In this rendition, the dark cherry balsamic gets its sweet, fruity flavor profile from aging in prized Vignola cherry wood barrels for nine years, which impart notes of the tangy, indulgent fruit in the vinegar. Its thick, viscous consistency and full-bodied flavor make it the perfect candidate for finishing and glazing. It pairs well with game, pork or duck, drizzled over soups, salads and roasted vegetables, or even atop ice cream and cakes.

One of the oldest artisan balsamic makers in the world, Acetaia Pedroni has been in the business since 1862. They make their Italo balsamic vinegar from start to finish in Modena, which earns the bottle the “Protected Designation of Origin” mark—a verification that it’s as high quality as it gets. Made only from pure, juicy trebbiano wine grapes, the vinegar is aged for a minimum of 12 years in oak and chestnut wood barrels, moving into smaller and smaller barrels as it ages to concentrate the flavor. The finished result is filled with complexity: rich, heady, sweet, earthy and tart with notes of raisins and umami. It’s thick and syrupy from years of evaporation and a natural sugar content, so it’s perfect for finishing the most special dishes, like risotto and meats, or drizzled over strawberries and cheese.