Founded by Mario and Clementina, their deep passion for traditional balsamico has since been passed down to the next generation: Roberta and Marino, who carry on the legacy with the same care and dedication.

To this day, La Vecchia Dispensa remains a craft producer, overseeing every aspect of production with meticulous attention to detail—from the careful selection of raw ingredients to the bottling and packaging of the finished product. What may seem obsessive to some is, to them, a devotion to the uniqueness of each batch of vinegar.

About the Product Names & Age Labels

Years ago, La Vecchia Dispensa sold their balsamic vinegars with names based on their approximate age—such as 6-year, 10-year, or 12-year—and these ages were stamped on a red wax seal on the front of each bottle.

However, about a decade ago, the Consorzio Tutela Aceto Balsamico di Modena (the consortium overseeing the standards for balsamic vinegar production and labeling) prohibited producers from labeling products by age unless officially certified, as age claims could not always be verified under EU regulations.

As a result, La Vecchia Dispensa transitioned to using density and a colored leaf system (which you’ll see on their labels and occasionally on bottles from other producers) as a way to represent flavor complexity and concentration.

While we now list the density of each product in its description, we chose to retain the original age-related product names online—because density and leaf color mean little to most customers, and because those original names had become familiar and trusted.

So please note: the approximate age is no longer printed on the wax seal or label, and while the name may still reference an age, that number is now a symbolic guide—not an official statement of aging.