Cooking Sauce or Flavor Enhancer 2008

Outstanding Cooking Sauce or Flavor Enhancer 2008: Delicaé Gourmet Strawberry Zinfandel Balsamic Glaze

Launched in January 2008, Strawberry Zinfandel Balsamic Glaze has a flavor profile that surprises people. Barbara Macaluso, who along with her husband Lenny founded Delicaé Gourmet, Tarpon Springs, Fla., explains that, “People expect a primarily balsamic taste, but the first thing you get is the sweet, the fruit and the wine, and then at the end you hit the balsamic. The flavor just explodes into your mouth.”

Because of its sweet and savory elements, the thick glaze is versatile, notes Macaluso, and works well as a salad dressing or a glaze on grilled chicken, ham and meats. “It’s also great drizzled over pâté, cheese, and even ice cream, pound cake and cheesecake,” she adds. At retail it can be merchandized near meat sections, cheese counters, with the salad dressings or with other sweet items.

The Macalusos have long had a passion for interesting flavor combinations, sparked in part by extensive travel (some of it done during Lenny’s time as the band leader for Tina Turner), and they wanted to share that passion through Delicaé Gourmet. Suggested retail: $7.80/8.4 ounces; delicaegourmet.com.—Susan Segrest

0 comments