La Piana Gold Quality Aged Balsamic Vinegar PGI

I purchased this La Piana Balsamic Vinegar for a fabulous French foodie-friend with a fiendish obsession for balsamic vinegar. Now, I should tell you that, having grown up in Provence, my friend has impeccable taste and an extremely refined palette. Since I have never tasted this brand of balsamic vinegar, I was a little nervous to order it. No worries. My friend is crazy about La Piana. She tells me she is using it on everything - even ice cream. She has declared this the best vinegar she has ever tasted. Note, The Balsamic Vinegar Cookbook by Meesha Halm is a great cookbook that offers tons of recipes. I purchased this for my friend as well and she raves about it. Here's a link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0002251337

Folks, I ordered this based on reviews I had read here. I wish that Amazon would at least provide the information on the label so a consumer can make a educated choice. First and foremost, this is not real balsamic vinegar. It is Wine Vinegar & cooked grape must, with a acidity of 6%. True Balsamic Vinegar ingredients is: "is made from the Trebbiano grape. The rich brown color comes from being aged in wood casks, often for decades. Although it is made from grapes, balsamic vinegar isn't produced from wine (as are most vinegars). The authentic product may not contain any wine vinegars - the grape juice is simply reduced and then made directly into vinegar." and will have acidity of 4%. I made the mistake of opening my bottle and will see if Amazon will take it back.

Way Over priced.

Actually, the product is excellent, but the price has increased 35% in a year! La Piana has priced itself out of the market for me. Really disappointing, but I'll get by.

Pretty good. Price is cheap for a 20yr old balsamic. Not quite as good as a Modena.

La Piana 20 is real balsamic vinegar. Thick, syrupy, sweet. Like well-aged balsamic vinegar is supposed to be. I use it in salads and cooking. It is my go-to vinegar. Italian Foods Inc also has the best price.

This is one of the best 20-year balsamic vinegars for the price. I'm American-Italian with a fussy palate inherited from my Dad, and this sweet, syrupy balsamic is amazing on salads, fruits, vegetables ..... just about anything you can think of. I don't use it in cooking or marinating because it seems wasteful to me. Try it - I think you'll enjoy it! Ciao Tutti !! Update: 07/01/11 Unfortunately, I have not purchased the La Piana for several months now. The flavor and texture has changed dramatically, in my opinion. Also, the labeling is different from my earlier purchases.

This Balsamic Vinegar is OK, not as great as I thought. Don't get me wrong, I like it, but for the price I can buy two bottles of other brand from Italy as good or better, and older.