Since expanding into wine, I’ve also enjoyed food pairings and one of my favorite has been dipping bread in balsamic and olive oil.
My favorite combo has been:
- Frantoi Cutrera - Primo - Extra Virgin Olive Oil DOP
- Guiseppi Giusto - Aceto Balsamic Vinegar IGP (red label)
The Giusto Red is a lovely thick balsamic and blends nicely with the Frantoi Primo olive oil. I’ve tried other brands, but always end up back to these 2.
Oils has 3 levels of quality assurance:
- DOP - most strict and for Balsamic vinegar must be Italian and 100% grape must and no more tha from 7 grape varieties. Also aged for a number of years.
- IGP - medium strixt ans for balsamic vinegar allows minimum 20% grape must, 7 grape varieties but can be grown anywhere in world. They allow for other ingredients like caramel coloring and 60 days minimum aging.
- Commercial - pretty open category.
The rating system doesn't guarantee its the best, only the minimum standards. There are many IGP that surpass a DOP. So the value buy is often in IGP vs simply buying a DOP.
Comments
Post a Comment