aged balsamic vinegar adds a flair to gourmet cooking. A gourmet kitchen without aged balsamic vinegar is hard to imagine. Less than 20 years ago, balsamic vinegar was nearly an vague Tuscan accouterment. Now, gourmet chefs use it extensively. A few drops of the very best balsamico on ripe strawberries, bartlett pears, or other fruit is a customary combination to end a meal.