Steve Darland, The Darland Company

The finest offering at the Farm Shop is an 21-year aged traditional balsamic made in Monticello, New Mexico that is raising eyebrows around the world. It is an Italian-style classic, made with estate-grown, organic grapes, and aged in rare wood casks. Paul Bertolli says it is “the best and most authentic of the New World balsamics that I have tasted," and the senior editor of Saveur magazine, Kate Kracklauer, said “We are completely beguiled."

Los Poblanos Executive Chef Jonathan Perno calls this ingredient “brilliant and incomparable" as it brings out flavors in grilled meats and vegetables, and creates a unique experience with figs, strawberries and ice cream.

If you want the perfect gift for a devout chef, food enthusiast or newlywed foodies, look no further. The classic 4.5 oz. bottle‚ contains what could have been 55 standard bottles of top-quality wine, but the “angels share", or natural evaporation through the wood casks, reduces this liquid into a dense and viscous elixir. Using balsamico casks made in Italy by the world-renowned master, Francesco Renzi, a series of barrels made of ash, acacia, cherry, chestnut, juniper, mulberry and oak are used to impart flavor throughout the aging process. With a finely balanced acidity and sweetness, it contains a rare wood nuance and a luminous depth of color. 

A maximum of 1000 bottles are corked annually, so claim your traditional balsamic today.

Note: Almost every commercially available balsamic today is considered industrial because of the production methods and ingredients. Very few producers get the privilege of labeling their balsamic “condiment" or “traditional", as this indicates a laborious, artful, single-ingredient driven process that can only be achieved with grapes, casks and time. This is one of the only certified-organic, traditional balsamics available on earth, and one of the finest artisan products made in the American southwest.

• Made in Monticello, New Mexico
• Available in a 1 oz or 4.5 oz glass bottle