Dark Chocolate Balsamic Vinegar

This is real PGI balsamic from Modena flavored with dark cocoa concentrate, and the ingredient list is refreshingly short at just three items: Trebbiano and Lambrusco cooked grape must, wine vinegar, and dark cocoa concentrate. There is no added sugar, caramel color, or thickener, which is more than you can say for most supermarket balsamics, so all 11 grams of sugar per tablespoon come naturally from the concentrated grape must. For a health minded shopper it earns a spot as a finishing drizzle over berries, yogurt, or roasted vegetables where a teaspoon or two goes a long way, but it is a condiment, not a health food. At 45 calories and 11 grams of sugar per tablespoon it belongs in small pours, not by the spoonful.