Is balsamic vinegar gluten-free? Yes, check glazes

Yes. Balsamic vinegar is gluten-free. Balsamic vinegar of Modena is made from cooked grape must and wine vinegar; traditional balsamic from cooked grape must alone.

What to check

• Caramel colour, allowed in some balsamic vinegars, is gluten-free.
• Balsamic glazes and creams sometimes add thickeners. A starch from wheat would be named on the label in the EU, UK and US.
• Dressings that mix balsamic with other ingredients: read the whole list.
• Malt vinegar, not balsamic, is the vinegar made from barley.

Keep reading

• Is vinegar gluten-free?
• Is caramel colour gluten-free?
• Gluten-free Bologna (Modena’s neighbour)

Sources: EU Regulation 1169/2011 (Annex II: cereals containing gluten), Coeliac UK, Codex Alimentarius (gluten-free = 20 mg/kg or less). Checked 28 September 2026. We inform, we don’t diagnose: for medical questions, your doctor or dietitian has the last word.