What Company Really Makes Costco's Kirkland Brand Balsamic Vinegar?

Costco's Kirkland Signature is the bulk retailer's private-label brand, named after its headquarters in Kirkland, Washington, that has garnered a cult following and is widely known for its often high-quality products at low prices. In the same way that there's a major brand behind the chain's chocolate-covered almonds, Costco doesn't make its balsamic vinegar in-house. Instead, it partners with an established producer to do it for them, and purchasing in large quantities allows Costco to pass the savings down to its customers. Luckily, if you pick up a bottle of Kirkland Signature Organic Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, the name of the producer is proudly displayed right on the label.

Acetum has been making vinegar in Modena, Italy for over a century. The company, founded in 1906, holds the title of the largest producer of certified balsamic vinegar of Modena with Protected Geographical Indication, with over 6 million gallons produced annually. Along with balsamic vinegar, it produces apple cider vinegar and vinegar glazes for direct purchase and private-label partnerships. Kirkland balsamic vinegar has the Protected Geographical Indication and the Balsamic Vinegar Consortium stamps on the label, which are indicators of high-quality ingredients and processing standards.

The Protected Geographical Indication on the label means that the European Union recognizes that balsamic vinegar of Modena like Acetum can only be made there using specific ingredients and techniques. This recognition helps producers maintain integrity and market their products. For consumers it means they can be confident in a certain level of quality. In a review on Costco's website, a customer wrote "My son, who was stationed in Italy for three years, dubiously tried it when home on leave. He said it was the closest thing he had tasted to the balsamic he had in Italy." Customers can rest assured that Acetum makes its balsamic vinegar in Modena, the product's birthplace.

There are seven different grape varieties that can be used to make balsamic vinegar. The fruit is crushed, resulting in a grape must that contains the juice, stems, seeds, and skins. Wine vinegar is added and the concoction is loaded into wooden barrels to age for at least 60 days for the Protected Geographical Indication. At this point, a specific yeast is added in a process called acetification. After the vinegar has matured, a team of experts performs lab testing and tastings as a final step for certification. Have you ever seen an "aged" balsamic vinegar from Modena? To put that on a label, the producer has to age the vinegar for at least three years!

This all must take place within Modena and Reggio Emilia. It's a historically and culturally significant product for the region, making it an ingredient that isn't easily substituted. As such, it's a treat to see Acetum and Costco team up on this high-value product.