12 Best Balsamic Vinegars Ranked in 2025
The best balsamic vinegars offer a beautiful middle ground between a sad, dry salad and one covered in globs of artery-clogging ranch. Packed with pungent flavor and virtually no calories, this Italian condiment is not only a popular option for dressing a salad but also for livening up a sandwich or dipping your favorite bread.
But what makes a good balsamic vinegar? Isn’t it all the same?
Oh, no, no. The world of balsamic vinegar is as competitive as it is complex, and it is by no means simple to determine what the best balsamic vinegar might be. But the public has spoken — these 12 beloved brands offer some of the best balsamic vinegar on the market.
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The 12 Best Balsamic Vinegar Brands Ranked
12. 365 by Whole Foods
Searching for the best grocery store balsamic vinegar? You’ll find one of them at Whole Foods. While highly affordable, we did find that 365 by Whole Foods balsamic is a bit on the sweet side, so you might not love it if you prefer a more acidic vinegar.
However, it offers incredible value, is easy to find and is surprisingly rich for its price point. It might not be one of the best balsamic vinegars for dipping, but if you need a thicker balsamic for dressing a salad or a sweeter one for macerating fruit, stop by the nearest Whole Foods.
Almost every fan who tries this balsamic vinegar insists that it tastes like a much pricier product than it is, proving that the best balsamic vinegar doesn’t have to be the expensive food it’s reputed to be.
11. Fini
Some balsamic vinegars can be overwhelming. Perhaps the acidity is much too strong, or it tastes so sweet that you start to wonder if it’s supposed to garnish dessert instead of appetizers or salads (to be fair, people do put it on ice cream). If you’re looking for that Goldilocks just-right middle ground, Fini is one of the best aged balsamic vinegars to start with.
Yes, it’s one of the pricier options, which is why we rank it lower on this list of the best balsamic vinegars. Yet, we found that the quality is exceptional; you would expect something magnificent for the price tag.
We also found that Fini has a well-rounded flavor that you can use with almost anything that takes balsamic well: cheese, salad or even the aforementioned ice cream. We definitely rank this as a good balsamic vinegar to opt for if you know you’ll be using it in a lot of different dishes.
10. Due Vittorie
In its home region of Reggio Emilia, balsamic vinegar is serious business. Because regional food products are such an iconic and cherished element of Italy’s cultural heritage, the Italian government is heavily involved in regulating the production and sale of certain foods. Balsamic vinegar is one of them.
If you see the acronyms “IGP” or “DOP” on a label, you know you’re looking at the real deal. Due Vittorie is an IGP-designated balsamic, automatically marking it as one of the best balsamic vinegars money can buy.
The whole IGP-DOP certification thing gets really complicated, so you just need to know that an IGP balsamic has heavy ties to the Reggio Emilia region and the traditional methods of producing balsamic vinegar.
And when it comes to Due Vittorie, you can taste it. It may not be the world’s finest (that would probably be a DOP vinegar — more on that later), but it’s still got the near-perfect balance of sweet and acidic that you want in a real Italian balsamic.
A bonus? With that IGP certification, you’re guaranteed only the best ingredients — and thus one of the healthiest balsamic vinegar options on the market, too.
9. Sprouts Farmers Market
One of the worst moments in any balsamic fan’s life is opening up a bottle to find that it sloshes around like water. If you’re new to balsamic, remember this if nothing else: you don’t want to see that.
The best aged balsamic vinegars are thick and syrupy, and the longer they’re aged, the thicker they’ll be. You’ll likely have your own preferred viscosity based on what you’re making, but “watery” is nobody’s preference.
That’s the most heartening thing about Sprouts’ balsamic vinegar. Not only is it a decently authentic Italian balsamic, which alone is enough to make it one of the best grocery store balsamic vinegars, but it’s also thick.
We found that the texture falls somewhere between that less-than-ideal watery stuff and the molasses-like viscosity of the really pricy kind. If you’re getting into balsamic vinegar because someone told you it was the healthiest salad dressing, this one will do nicely: it’ll coat the greens without getting goopy.
8. Trader Joe’s
A solid, accessible grocery store balsamic vinegar option. Trader Joe’s balsamic is IGP-labeled, so you know you’re getting good stuff, but it’s a little easier to get your hands on than many comparable brands.
Like many of the best balsamic vinegar options, we found that a little bit goes a long way — in this case, mostly because its flavor profile is pretty sweet. You’ll like this one if you aren’t big on the intense zing of the tangier brands.
And again, the IGP label ensures that Trader Joe’s also offers one of the healthiest balsamic vinegars, with no unhealthy added ingredients.
7. Roland Foods
Roland’s balsamic vinegar is every bit worthy of a place among the best balsamic vinegars, but it does require a caveat: this is more of a glaze than a true, full-bodied balsamic. The reason we don’t count that as a knock against it in our book is that you sometimes want that. How many dinner food ideas call for a drizzle of balsamic?
A lot of recipes need a balsamic that looks good as a garnish. If that’s the kind of thing you need, Roland makes one of the best balsamic vinegars for you: balanced, smooth and beautiful drizzled atop your Instagram-worthy bruschetta.
6. Celia’s Gourmet Foods
For a balsamic vinegar like no other, make Oregon-based small business Celia’s Gourmet Foods your go-to. The company’s small-batch, artisanal balsamic vinegar is basically tailor-made for dressing a salad, with a variety of flavors like blackberry-ginger.
Flavoring balsamic vinegar may sound like sacrilege to some purists. But if you’re just searching for a dressing that makes eating plain spring mix bearable, you’ll probably find that this is your pick for the best balsamic vinegar on the market.
Celia’s Gourmet Foods is obviously not a DOP vinegar imported from Modena or even a particularly traditional balsamic. But it’s lovingly handmade, barrel-aged and of excellent quality — and you can always order the traditional flavor if that’s what you’re into.
Celia’s creativity makes it one of the best balsamic vinegar options for the skeptical, and you might be surprised how much you enjoy that novel approach.
5. Kirkland Signature
The monarch of grocery store balsamic vinegars — there isn’t even any competition. But you may be surprised to see a Costco product ranking so high on a list of the best balsamic vinegars. Yet, it earns its place for a few solid reasons.
Firstly, Costco is famous for unbeatable value, and that trend continues with this bulk-sized balsamic vinegar. Along with great value, this is a thinner balsamic, ideal for making vinaigrette dressings or dipping bread, but with all the tang and sweetness you’re looking for in the best balsamic vinegars.
No, Costco doesn’t exactly have a reputation for gourmet finds, but it nearly always sells an impressively solid product. This is one case where that general rule holds especially true. Plus, it’s a massive bottle — this is the best balsamic vinegar, bar none, if you’re looking for a pantry staple that’ll last you a while.
4. Napa Valley Naturals
Balsamic vinegar is made of grapes, so it’s kind of natural that the United States’ most famous wine-producing region would also make some of the best balsamic vinegar out there.
Napa Valley Naturals is another sweet option that we turn to for dessert or a milder salad dressing. Plus, as a domestically-produced balsamic, it might be a bit more accessible than some of the more prestigious IGP and DOP products, which sometimes comes in handy.
3. Alma Gourmet
Don’t expect this world-class DOP to come at a bargain price: if you want to taste some of the best balsamic vinegar Italy has ever produced, you’ll have to shell out for it. But if you do, you’ll experience a balsamic that absolutely bursts with flavor. Because Alma Gourmet is so potent, a tiny bit goes a long way, and you can really make the bottle last.
That’s the power of the DOP label: in order to sell the product with that prestigious designation, a producer is legally obliged to grow and manufacture every part of the vinegar within one of two production regions in northern Italy. Only the best-quality ingredients and the most traditional manufacturing methods can be used, and you’ll taste it.
Alma Gourmet’s balsamic is a splurge and a half, which is why we haven’t put it quite at the top — it isn’t exactly accessible for many buyers. At the end of the day, the best balsamic vinegar is the one you can afford. But in terms of quality and taste, it’s a serious contender for the title of the best balsamic vinegar on the planet.
2. Villa Manodori
True balsamic aficionados will often talk about the “character” of the best balsamic vinegars. If you have no idea what that could possibly refer to, it helps to think about the production process.
Balsamic vinegar is aged in wooden barrels, and depending on what type of wood they’re made with, the finished product absorbs different flavor notes in the aging process.
Why mention this now? Because Villa Manodori is often said to be a balsamic vinegar with a lot of character. In fact, that’s what makes many claim that it’s one of the best balsamic vinegars on the market.
Aged in barrels of three different woods, Villa Manodori balsamic has a lot of time to absorb a complex range of flavors. You won’t find another balsamic that tastes exactly like this one. If you value complexity and subtlety above all else in your balsamic, we think this will likely get your vote for the best balsamic vinegar in the mix.
1. Oliviers & Co.
Sometimes, if you’re only going to cook with it, you don’t care as much about the complexities of a balsamic vinegar’s flavor. If it’s going to cook off, the best balsamic vinegar to use is usually the cheapest.
But if it’s going to garnish a bowl of exquisite ice cream, top off your favorite fancy lunch food idea or add the finishing touch to a crisp salad, you want something that bursts with flavor. Oliviers & Co is that balsamic.
Produced by a company that specializes in olive oil, this gem is one of the best balsamic vinegars to use sparingly. Just a little is enough for its creamy texture and balanced flavor profile to elevate whatever it garnishes.
Our tip? Add a bottle of the company’s olive oil to your order and serve it with a few drops of this exquisite balsamic for the best bread-dipping experience of your life.
What Is the Best Balsamic Vinegar?
There’s basically no competition: if you have the budget for it, the best balsamic vinegar is Alma Gourmet. But if you don’t, you might find that you’re surprised by how strong of a case Kirkland Signature makes for itself.
Anyone looking for a garnish-friendly balsamic vinegar will do well with Roland Food’s offerings, and if you want something in between the accessibility of Kirkland and the prestige of Alma Gourmet, Due Vittorie is one of the best balsamic vinegars in the middle ground.
Remember, though: the best balsamic vinegar in terms of quality or overall taste might still not be the best balsamic vinegar for you. Every dish requires a specific flavor profile, so when you’re considering what to buy, think about the flavor you want — sweeter or more tangy? Lighter or thicker? — and how it’ll complement the dish you’re planning to make.
And, with the balsamic vinegar market growing year over year in the U.S., according to sources like Data Bridge Market Research, there are likely to be many more balsamic vinegar brands entering the market over the next few years, making it easier to find the perfect product for your needs.
The best balsamic vinegar is going to look different to everybody. Intended use, flavor preferences and whether or not you care about things like the vinegar’s place of origin and production methods will all impact which bottle you reach for on the supermarket shelf.
But somewhere in this list of the best balsamic vinegar options is a vinegar for everyone, and we hope you’ve found yours.
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