It's been ages since I've had an enjoyable balsamic sauce that I didn't have to make myself http://www.ediblesacramento.com/content/index.php/blog/elf. Last summer I purchased one at the farmers' market that touted fresh seasonal flavors of raspberries and springtime and happiness. Dear Lord, it was like there was a party in my mouth and everyone had died. Since then I gave up and started whisking and reducing my own balsamic-based sauces. Thus, you can understand my skepticism when my friend Jennifer suggested the balsamic sauces made by Earth and Vine Provisions.

I had heard of Earth and Vine before and seen their products on display around town. A local company dedicated to creating fine jams, sauces, and provisions, Earth and Vine was founded in Northern California in 1997 by Ron and Tressa Cooper. Their products are known for being all-natural and having creative flavor concoctions such as peach chipotle jam and apricot, Dijon, and tarragon finishing sauce.

Warily, I picked up some of their balsamic sauces and called in the cavalry--friends whom, if I was going to be tongue tortured, I could take down with me. So we gathered and set out our provisions: bread, cheese, and a few small bowls. As we poured a strawberry and lemon balsamic and a tangerine and fig balsamic, we were immediately intrigued by the aromas of the soy-black puddles forming before us. They were sweet and delicate, yet certainly strong enough to announce their presence. I forgot all about my skepticism and reached for the bread.

The strawberry and lemon balsamic was sweet, startlingly so; like strawberry jam. I was slightly put off at first; calling the sweetness "cloying" would be an understatement. The strawberries dominated the other flavors; the lemon and balsamic only faintly tickled the back corners of my tongue. Still, I sensed possibility.

The trick to this sauce was to not serve it alone. It had to be paired for its true colors to show. We broke out a small wedge of Gorgonzola and smeared it on the bread before dipping. As I popped the trio into my mouth, sparks began to fly. The saltiness balanced the sweet in a perfect harmony. The fruit mingled so gingerly with the cream. The brusque moldy veins lingered jovially with the whispers of lemon after each swallow. It's a pairing that would work well over a spinach salad, over vanilla ice cream, or (and I sigh longingly at this thought) swirled into or poured over a cheesecake.

Next we tried the thick tangerine and fig balsamic sauce. I dipped, popped, and, once again, found myself taken aback, smiling. The tangerine, fig, and balsamic were equally balanced, each complementing the other. All together, they formed a fourth emulsified flavor that was new and unique.

The tangerine was bold, a perfect stand-in now that the tangerine season had come and gone. However for me, it was all about the fig. I was awash in memories of grade school and pulling fig cookies out of my brown-bag lunch.

The viscous sauce was the winner of the two in my opinion. It's heavy though, an after dinner sauce best served with blue cheese, a nice chèvre, and maybe a charcuterie plate. Too rich to serve before a meal, but perfect for after.

The sauces are well crafted and worth picking up for any outdoor dinner parties you have coming up. One bottle will go a long way and the flavors are something that will stand out at the table with sweet smells and reminiscent tastes.