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The term ‘balsamic vinegar’ is frequently applied to describe sauces, condiments and dressings with particular sweet taste. In Italy there are two types of balsamic vinegar: ‘balsamic vinegar of Modena’ and ‘traditional balsamic vinegar’. The first is a flavoured wine vinegar obtained by blending cooked must and wine vinegar and, in some cases, by adding a small amount of caramel. Traditional balsamic vinegar (TBV) is made in Modena and Reggio Emilia with cooked grape must, through a three-step process: conversion of sugars to ethanol by yeasts; oxidation of ethanol to acetic acid by acetic acid bacteria (AAB); and, finally, at least 12 years of ageing. The final product is a highly dense, dark-brown aged vinegar, having a sweet and sour taste, fruity and complex in flavour.

Vinegar has been used as a seasoning in cooking since ancient times. However, recent research has shown that, in addition to its well-known anti-bacterial activity, vinegar (when consumed as a drink) confers considerable health benefits, including lowering blood pressure, acting as an anti-oxidant, alleviating the effects of diabetes, preventing cardiovascular diseases, providing refreshment after exercise, etc. (Nishidai et al., 2000; Ogawa et al., 2000; Fushimi et al., 2001, 2002; Kondo et al., 2001; Shimoji et al., 2002; Sugiyama et al., 2003; Johnston et al., 2004). Consumers are now beginning to appreciate the health benefits of drinking vinegar. Therefore, in addition to the traditional use of vinegar products such as rice vinegar, wine vinegar and cider vinegar as a food flavouring, there is a growing demand for fruit vinegar products that are sold as a health food. The emergence of these new products has resulted in name changes from wine or cider vinegar to grape or apple vinegar, with these being categorized as fruit vinegars. Thus, there are two types of fruit vinegar products on the market: one with a high content of acetic acid which is either used as a seasoning or is diluted with 4-8 times as much water as a health drink, and another that is ready to drink as a beverage.

The word vinegar has been in use in the English language since the 14th century, when it arrived in the British Isles from the French vinaigre, a word that simply means ‘sour wine’, and that came in turn from the Latin vinum acre, ‘sour wine’ or, more commonly, vinum acetum, ‘wine vinegar’.