If you're familiar with prices in the USA for balsamico tradizionale, and were travelling in Rome and/or Naples, did you come across any shops where you noticed very good prices compared to those in the USA? If so, and you can recall names and/or addresses, please advise. Any shops near the airports particularly?

I can't give you a specific shop name but everything's much cheaper in Naples than Rome so I would buy it there.

Hi CA,

In 2003, with the euro at $1.20, we didn't find any particular bargains on certified balsamic vinegar.

I buy fairly good balsamic vinegar and then verrrrrry slowly reduce it to about 1/2 the volume (don't let it even simmer). Greatly improves the flavor.

I think you might do just as well in the US as in either of those two cities. The best prices would be found closer to the regions in which the vinegars are made (Emilia-Romagna.)

I've no idea how much you pay in the US for balsamic vinegar. But the lowest prices for anything anywhere near a big city will be at the major hypermarkets, and that's where we always stock up.

Given the absurd prices American supermarkets charge for proper Parmesan, I'd be flabbergasted if you couldn't find decent balsamics a great deal cheaper even in a Rome city centre convenience store than in the US, and typically the price gap between an Italian small shop and a fringe of town hypermarket will be substantially greater even than the US 7-11/Wal-Mart difference.

Panorama and Auchan both have a number of hypermarkets around Rome: google on 'ipermercato OR ipermercati napoli' for what's in Naples.

Flanner, just so you can compare, I pay $12.99USD for excellent quality Reggiano Parm here in NYC. But at an Italian specialty shop..NEVER at a supermarket. We can get very good prices here in New York for balsamico as well, of varying ages and qualities. Again, at select Italian markets (and also at a large market called Fairway.) I suspect the prices would be a bit higher in smaller cities or towns in the US.

Well . . . in terms of buying in the USA, I have found no better prices than from The Rare Wine Company. 12 year old for $60 and extravechio for $80. I've seen internet shops at 2X those prices, and locally, where I live in Colorado Springs, a 12 year old will run around $100. Here's the link to the pdf version of inventory for Rare Wine's balsamico tradizionale: http://www.rarewineco.com/pdfs/Balsa...5%20Retail.pdf. They also sell Olio Nuevo but when the offerings are made, if you haven't bought within a couple days of the offering, it's all gone.

Thanks for the replies, however, and I will see what I can find with the suggestions made that may be able to beat what I can buy it at in the USA. I'm looking for some good bargains, though--$20 a bottle or so savings over what I can do in the USA. I'd like to buy a case (12 bottles).

Hi CA,

>I'm looking for some good bargains, though--$20 a bottle or so savings over what I can do in the USA.<

Unlikely.

The stuff is shipped to the States. Why give big discounts at home?

ekscrunchy: "$12.99USD for excellent quality Reggiano Parm"

We can't compare if you don't tell us how much that is for ! I think I pay about £2.50 (GBP) per 100g at a specialist cheese shop here in Edinburgh.

Hi CE,

That would be $12.99 per pound.

I can't understand why people don't realize that you can buy ANYTHING in New York. I live in Maryland, but was born and grew up in New York (Brooklyn). Whenever I need something exotic or out of the ordinary, I call my brother in NY, and it's a cinch that he will find it with no trouble whatsoever, and at prices that are less than if one would buy those products in Italy, or wherever.

Oh, sorry. I thought it would be obvious that the $12.99 USD is the price per pound. We buy by the pound, half-pound or quarter pound in the US.

Someone else will have to do the maths...

$12.99/lb v. £2.50/100g ?

Caroline,

£2.50 per 100g = $19.70 per pound.

Hi Caroline. Let me say here that that price is not the one you would get in any shop. In the supermarket (where I would never buy cheese) or in many specialized cheese shops, it can cost up to $14.99 per pound or even more. I buy Italian products at an old-fashioned Italian shop in downtown Manhattan; there are many of these alimentari in Nw York. See my post on one of them on the US/NY board.

Thanks Hal8999 !

ekscrunchy - I'm confused - you previously said "I pay $12.99USD for excellent quality Reggiano Parm here in NYC" ?? And it seems that $19.70 is what I pay for excellent quality RP here in Edinburgh.

In my local supermarket (in a suburb of Chicago), the Parm Reg is usually $18.99 a pound. So I usually buy the Pecorino Romano ($12.99 a pound) instead.

Carolyn,

One reason your price converts to such a high price in dollars is the relative valuelessness of the dollar at this time.

$12.99 per pound would be a good price in Italy, let alone the USA. Makes me wonder. $14.99 a pound seems more reasonable. I pay $21 perpound at a local Italian market or $16 per pound at the local supermarket (in Colorado). Maybe it's a lack of proper tastebuds on my part, but I can't tell the difference. I still buy most of the time from the Italian market because I like the people.

Caoline, you are correct. It seems that Reggiano parmesan is much less expensive in New York than in most other paces in the US. IF one knows where to shop. On a related topic; I was just in my New York Italian shop this afternoon. They sell gold label traditional balsamic from Reggio Emilia for $120. The silver label is about $80. With the purchase of the Gold Label the shop is giving away a Christmas premium of chocolates infused with Balsamic vinegar.

(continued)....sorry I cannot tell you how large the bottles are... I did not examine them too closely. The woman in front of me on line bought three bottles of the silver and one of the gold label for holiday presents. I would be very interested to know the price of these products in Reggio Emilia or elsewhere in Italy.