Happy Thanksgiving!

As the leaves turn colour and fall is in full display, the time has come to celebrate Thanksgiving.

At Vincenzo’s, we have so much to be thankful for, but you, our customers, above all. Your unwavering loyalty and trust have been the cornerstones of our success, and for that, we are truly thankful. And every year, we are honoured to be a part of your holiday tradition.

From our team at Vincenzo’s, we wish you and your loved ones a happy Thanksgiving and a table surrounded by love, laughter and of course, great food!

Thanksgiving Basket

What says “thank you” better than a beautifully wrapped and ready-to-deliver Thanksgiving basket .  Whether you’re visiting someone’s house for a holiday dinner and want to bring a memorable gift to the host or you have someone special in mind you want this thank this holiday season, bring them a Vincenzo’s Thanksgiving Basket and they will surely be wow-ed!

Here’s what you can expect to find in the basket:

Taco Farm Tortilla Chips - 350g

Sheila G’s Brownie Brittle - 113g

Castello Boxed Brie - 150g

Spuds Finest Potato Chips - 150g

Creative Pretzels Pumpkin Spice Yogurt Pretzels - 198g

Raincoast Crisp Pumpkin Crackers - 150g

Fraktals Milk Chocolate Bark - 100g 

Barries Asparagus Salsa - 250mL

Cookie it up Shortbread Cookies - 154g

Donini Chocolate Bar - 100g

Something Special Red Pepper Jelly - 300g

Funky Chunky Pumpkin Spice Popcorn - 141g

Inca La Rosala Roasted Nuts - 75g

It’s Soup Season!

Nothing says fall like a heartwarming bowl of soup. As the weather becomes crisper, cooking a large pot of soup with freshly harvested ingredients from your garden or beloved pantry staples feels so right.

Fall soups evoke a comforting and cozy atmosphere, and Italian bean soup, with its rich flavours and hearty ingredients, is a quintessential choice for the season. This rustic and nourishing soup combines tender cannellini beans, aromatic herbs like rosemary and thyme, and an array of vegetables such as carrots, celery, and kale, all simmered together in a flavourful broth. What sets Italian bean soup apart is its simplicity, allowing the natural sweetness of the vegetables and the creamy texture of the beans to shine.

Another classic fall soup is tomato soup. 

We recommend using canned tomatoes rather than fresh because they tend to be packed in peak season—that means they're perfectly ripe! Plus, the skins are removed. That means less work for you! If we were you, we'd serve this with some grilled cheese on crusty bread— makes for a complete (and extra-hearty) meal.

Balsamic Vinegar

The traditional recipe, made only from grape must produced exclusively in Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region, yields a dense, precious liquid reserved for prestigious uses. Many years ago, producers from the province of Modena modified the recipe. They added wine vinegar to the grape must diluting the content and therefore lowering the sales price. Consequently, several variations of the product were created, allowing for new culinary uses that were simply not possible with the expensive traditional recipe. The following is a guide to these varieties and their suggested uses.

Everyday & Clear – Unaged Light & Fresh

Every day & white balsamic vinegar have a delicate taste. Made with concentrated grape must and the same wine vinegars as other balsamic, they are not aged and has a small percentage of grape must.

Pairings

They are excellent with fish and white meat and ideal for marinades, salads and crudités.

Essential Balsamic – Young, Fruity & Tangy

These young vinegars undergo a short aging process. Since the ratio of wine vinegar to grape must is higher, they are less concentrated and have a higher acidity. This is a good entry level option.

Pairings

They are perfect for everyday use, especially with desserts, salads, fish and warm sauces.

Indulgent Balsamic – Aged, Generous & Balanced

A longer aging process and a higher concentration in grape must give these balsamic vinegars a perfectly balanced taste with acidic and sweet flavours.

Pairings

Equally suited to everyday cooking and gourmet dishes, also delicious paired with grilled meat or fish, boiled or grilled vegetables, in salads or drizzled as a garnish on omelets.

Divine Balsamic – Extra Aged, Dense & Sweet

Created from the finest selections of grape must and wine vinegar, they are very similar to traditional balsamic vinegars in density and taste.

Pairings

They are perfect for gourmet cooking and simply exquisite with fruit, ice cream or cheese. Try drizzling a few drops over parmesan. So delicious, you can savour them on their own at the end of a meal.

Traditional Balsamic – The Ultimate

Incomparable gifts, these great balsamic vinegars are made exclusively from grape must. Aged in barrels for at least 12 years, they are covered by a protected designation of origin (PDO). Production is limited and complex, requiring exceptional expertise. This explains their very high price: up to $1,000 per litre. Located in our front display case.

Pairings

They are sublime with red meat, seafood, parmesan, red fruits and sorbets.

How It’s Made

Balsamic vinegar can only be produced in Modena and Reggio Emilia in Italy. The process of making it begins by cooking Trebbiano grape juice. This cooking reduces the water content of the juice, turning it into a syrup called must. The must is then poured into the first wooden barrel of a Solera series, mixed with an older Balsamic vinegar batch to begin the acetification process. Each year 50% of the vinegar is transferred down the line to a slightly smaller barrel, along the way acquiring some of the flavours of the different woods. The only approved woods are oak, cherry, chestnut, mulberry, acacia, juniper, and ash.

Shop Our Selection

We carry a wide selection of balsamic vinegars in our store, and here are a couple we always recommend to our customers:

Maletti Balsamic Vinegar - The Maletti family has been producing quality traditional balsamic vinegar for generations. Their vinegar is aged in an accelerated yet regulated evaporation process in former wine barrels of French Allier oak. This vinegar has an extraordinary density, aroma and depth of flavour with a clean delicate finish. Maletti balsamic vinegar is superb on a wide range of dishes, from fresh strawberries to salad greens topped with Parmigiano Reggiano shavings to most any meat dish.

Golosini #12 Balsamic Vinegar - This 12-year aged Grand Reserve is the ultimate gourmet kitchen staple. The dark, plum-colored elixir is so thick it's practically a syrup with a rich piquancy and sweet finish. Not for use as part of a salad dressing, choose it for a sweet and tangy topping or condiment for fine steaks, ice cream and cakes. It is also excellent drizzled over salad as a finishing touch.

On The Blog — It’s Olive Harvest Time!

In Canada, the Fall harvest brings forth a bountiful array of seasonal delights such as crisp apples and vibrant pumpkins, symbolizing the known and loved flavours and colours of autumn.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the Atlantic in Italy, Spain and Greece this season is marked by a different harvest as farmers focus on the gathering of olives. The picturesque landscapes of these Mediterranean regions come alive with the annual olive harvest, where generations of families and farmers gather to pluck the precious fruit from ancient groves, infusing the air with the rich aroma of olive oil production.

Head on over to our blog to read more about olives, where they come from, how they’re processed into olive oil and what you can expect to find in our store.

Visit our store, located in the heart of Uptown Waterloo at 150 Caroline Street South (in the Bauer Buildings) or shop online for your Thanksgiving staples. We carry local products from around the world and have done so proudly since 1967. From pantry staples like pasta and canned goods, fresh meat and cheeses, desserts to home goods and gift baskets and you’re sure to leave our store with a basket full of delicious food for your gathering. We can’t wait to see you!