Balsamic Vinegar of Modena

True balsamic vinegar (Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale) is not derived from wine, but from the slow cooking and reduction of grape must (Trebbiano varietal), followed by years of aging in a battery of barrels made from different woods. This process triggers incredibly complex Maillard reactions in the must's sugars. The result is a black, syrupy, dense elixir with a balanced sugar/acid ratio. It is used drop by drop, exclusively raw, on strawberries, aged parmesan, or vanilla ice cream, because heat would destroy its symphony of esters.