. . . made the traditional Italian wayIf you've ever had the privilege of tasting traditional Italian balsamic vinegar, you know that its rich, layered complexity and intensity is universes away from the pale imitations commonly available in the US.Traditional Italian balsamic vinegar comes from a specific region in Northern Italy known for its sweet grapes. These grapes are picked at the peak of ripeness and crushed to make a juice which then undergoes a lengthy and exacting process of double fermentation (first to alcohol and then to vinegar) and aging and reduction in a series of wooden barrels made of a variety of different woods - oak, chestnut, mulberry, ash, cherry, juniper and other fruitwoods, each of which imparts its particular flavor to the vinegar. Balsamics can be aged over a hundred years, and small bottles are sometimes sold for more than $150.Contrast this to what's packaged in fancy bottles and commonly sold in the U.S. as balsamic vinegar: conventional grape juice mi…