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What is Balsamic Vinegar?
Balsamic Vinegar is essentially barrel-aged grape juice that has been slow-cooked over an open flame and then barrel-aged. The vinegar is naturally dark because of the sweet grapes used to make the vinegar. During the cooking process, the sugar in the juice caramelizes and that is why balsamic is dark. Imitation vinegar's are made from distilled rice vinegar and are very pungent and sharp to the taste. They also add caramel coloring and flavoring to resemble authentic balsamic. 
The reasons why true balsamic vinegar is so expensive are : 1) Usually, the consorzio approved balsamic come into the country already labeled, so the tax on these products is usually 100% of the value. A consorzio approved balsamic is a vinegar that has gone through a rigorous tasting panel of state experts that will approve or disapprove a vinegar. If they approve your balsamic, then you are basically thrown into another higher quality category that allows you to charge much more for your vinegar if you are a producer. It is an honor to be approved by the consorzios (there are two of them in Italy, and they are a state-based program).
Our vinegar is of amazing quality, but since the cost of getting approved is so high, my vinegar makers do not feel the need to go through the hassle of the process. We all know how good the vinegar is without having to go through the process. Compare my vinegar to anyone else's. You can do this by looking at the side of the bottle when you tip it. If it leaves "legs," then it is a good vinegar.( From the aging process, it should be thick and stick to the edges of the bottle or glass. This is good!
Do we ship our Products?
We ship all of our products via ground. Please allow 5 to 10 business days for deliveries.
Where is my Olive oil from?
My oil is from Lerida, Spain. It is cold-pressed 100% extra virgin olive oil from the Arbequina Olives. It is a wonderfully fruity and full-flavored oil. I am blessed to have found this oil. I tried to purchase from California vendors, but the prices were outrageous. So, I went to the largest producer of olive oil in the world-Spain. They produce 215 million gallons annually. It takes 42 to 65 pounds of olives to make one gallon of extra-virgin olive oil. Cool, huh?
Are these all my recipes and is this my company?
All the blends that you can purchase from us are my recipes and I proudly admit that I bring in the vinegar for all my products. If you want the best, you go where they make the best and that was Modena, Italy. Three brothers and a sister make all my vinegar and I proudly sell it by itself also as my Heirloom Balsamic. Typically, true balsamic vinegar sells for about $2 a year. So, a 10 year old vinegar would be about $20. My 18-year old vinegar is only $19. Folks, I am starting a new trend in the gourmet food industry - I am selling quality food products at fair prices. I don't gouge because everyone else does. I am creating a niche market where anyone can feel good that they are not getting ripped off just because everyone else overcharges. That's not how we do business at John Spenger Foods.
What are my best sellers?
My best sellers are as follows:
#1 My newest flavor, the Thai-Sesame Ginger. Amazing as a finishing dressing for pastas as well as all chicken and salmon dishes. I put it over stuffed salmon the other night and it was amazing. I also marinated my pork loin for 24 hours and the juices just flew when I fork-cut it. It was AMAZING!
#2 The Basil Garlic Parmesan. Folks, this was my all time best seller until I introduced the Thai. This recipe is perfect on any seafood, shellfish or pasta. Any white meats or vegetables as a finishing oil, also. l "Zippy, " as Joey Altman put it.
#3 My Sun Dried Tomato Balsamic. This goes great on salads and is also perfect as marinade or just to finish sliced tomatoes with Mozzarella and Basil. Huge flavor. Arguably my third best seller. And, I might add, a revised version of the next best seller. The only difference between this recipe and the #4, is the fact that I added Sun Dried Tomatoes.
So, #4: The all amazing, ever popular, Garlic Balsamic BISTRO OIL! - The one that started it all - My personal favorite only because (And you have heard me say this before) " If it weren't for this recipe, I would have nothing," That was a quarter of a million bottles ago. This recipe was created while I worked at Scala's Bistro in San Francisco. If you go to this restaurant today, and ask for a Bistro Oil, they will turn around and bring you back a fresh version, (Real garlic), not infused, and you will be eating the original recipe that was the reason that I started John Spenger Foods and Bistro Blends. This was why. Period. Oh and don't try to name drop, because a year after I created the recipe, I quit the restaurant. Only a few mangers know who I am since I quit the restaurant in '98. So, anyway, the Bistro Oil has fallen to number four and that's OK.
#5 The ever popular Heirloom Balsamic Vinegar, (18-Years old). This one ingredient is why I am standing alone in this business. No-one will come close to using such an expensive ingredient. NO-ONE. Folks, I spare no expense in making my products. And we haven't even begun to talk about the garlic-I can't actually say how much garlic I use to infuse, but what I can admit to, is that I use so much garlic to make my products, that the garlic alone would fill up each bottle if I were to leave it in the bottle fresh. I boil the oil and (INFUSE) the oil so that I can get that much garlic in it. There is not another line of products on the market like ours-or Mine, lol.
The rest of the vinegar's make up a smaller portion of the sales of the business but I want everyone to know,-my balsamic customers are part of my loyal 'cult' following that I have. I have a small segment of customers that fit into the "Afficianado" category. These customers of mine are so loyal and devoted that I am the luckiest man in the world to be able to have introduced my products to these folks. OH, I might add, since going to Los Angeles and opening up markets several celebrities have gotten to know about the Bistro Blends such as Richard Dreyfuss, Bill Cosby (he likes the Sun Dried-Tomato), and I shamelessly gave a bottle to Kelsey Grammer and his wife. They were very nice and admitted that they both do the cooking around the house. Very nice people.
Where do we sell our products?
We sell at many shows around the country as well as at farmer's markets. We also sell online and enjoy and promote that process pretty aggressively. I do also recommend that people go to the farmer's markets listed on the website. This will help you get the products that you have fallen in love with! Also, you can order the sampler four-pack both online and at your local farmer's market by November, Just in time for the holidays!!!!
What are the Product Ingredients?
Thai Sesame Ginger:
Olive Oil, Soy Sauce, White Wine Vinegar, Lemon Juice, Sesame Oil, Sugar, Ginger, Wasabi Powder, Spices, Chilies.
Basil-Garlic Parmesan:
Garlic-infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil, White Wine Vinegar, Reggiano Parmesan Cheese, Basil, Ground Pepper & Salt
Sun Dried Tomato Balsamic:
Garlic-infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 18-year old Balsamic Vinegar Condiment, Sun-dried Tomatoes, Salt, Spices, Chili Flakes and Parsley.
Bistro Oil:
Garlic-infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Salt, Spices, Chili Flakes and Parsley.
Heirloom Balsamic Vinegar:
100% Balsamic Vinegar Condiment, aged 18 years from Modena, Italy.
Fig Balsamic Vinegar:
Up to 18-year old Balsamic Vinegar Condiment, Figs, Pure Vanilla Extract.
Blackberry Balsamic Vinegar:
100% 18-Year Traditional Balsamic Vinegar Condiment, Seedless puree of fresh blackberries
Raspberry Balsamic Vinegar:
100% 18-Year Traditional Balsamic Vinegar Condiment, Seedless puree of fresh raspberries
White Truffle Oil
100% pure white Truffle Essence combined with pure olive oil.
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