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 he Romans and probably the Greeks and Etruscans before them often cooked down grape must to produce wines that, because of their relatively high alcohol levels, could be aged at great length. It was with the same objective in mind that they pressed partly dried grapes and fermented the juice to produce raisin wines. It is not certain that they made vinegars with the same process but it appears highly probable that they did. Balsamic vinegar of Modena has been documented as far back as 1508 when Alfonso I d'Este, Duke of Modena, had his own vinegar facility. However, the term "balsamic" appeared only in an 18th-century register of the Duke's private cellar. The must is obtained from specially selected grapes of the Trebbiano and other typical varieties that are subjected to a soft pressing. The must is cooked over an open fire at a temperature of about 155° F. until the liquid has been concentrated by one half to one third. The cooked must decants throughout the winter. In the spring, the alcoholic fermentation occurs and then acetic oxidation aided by an injection of the "mother." After filtering, the vinegar is racked into barrels. The successive phases of fermentation and maturation are carried out in a series of barrels of different woods with capacities of decreasing size. They are stored in acetaie or "vinegar cellars" and each barrel is topped up with vinegar from the container next to it. On the average, 10% of the volume is lost through evaporation each year. Aging lasts a minimum of 12 years but vinegars 20 years and older are not uncommon. If aging lasts more than 25 years, the vinegar can be described as extravecchio. The "battery" of containers consists, on average, of five barrels of different woods ranging in volume from 19.7 to 2.6 gallons. The woods most commonly used are cherry, mulberry, juniper, oak and chestnut. The sequence as well as the times when rackings are carried out are all determined by the producers according to their inclinations and experience. After 12 years, the original 18.4 gallons of fresh must provide a maximum of three quarts of vinegar, which explains why the final product is so expensive. The vinegar must be offered for sale in a 100-ml. bottle designed by Giugiaro. The vinegar's principal characteristics: a dark but luminous brown color, a penetrating and persistent aroma with pleasant and harmonious acidity and a sweet-sour flavor that is highly aromatic. The vinegar is dense but flowing.
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Consorzio Tutela Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena
Via Ganaceto, 134
41100 Modena (MO)
ITALY
phone: (+39) 059/2929373
fax: (+39) 059/2928086
email: info@balsamico.it
web: www.balsamico.it
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Region of
Production
DOP Map
Emilia-Romagna
Recipes
ANGUILLA ALLA BRACE CON ACETO BALSAMICO
ASPARAGI BRASATI CON PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO®
INSALATA DI FORMAGGIO
INSALATA MISTA
PESCESPADA NEL PANE PROFUMATO ALLE ERBE
STRACCETTI ALL'ACETO BALSAMICO E PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO®
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