Traditional balsamic vinegar
The acetaie in the attics
Not to be confused with the common balsamic vinegar of the supermarket, the Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP is one of the most precious and unique products of Italian gastronomy, the result of decades of patience. It is made from a single ingredient: cooked grape must, mainly from Trebbiano and Lambrusco grapes, simmered slowly in open pots until it is reduced and concentrated, and then left to ferment and age for at least 12 years, or 25 years for the "extravecchio" version, without the addition of anything else.
The ageing takes place in a "batteria", a series of at least five wooden barrels of decreasing size and different woods, such as oak, chestnut, cherry, mulberry and juniper, each of which gives its aromas. Every year, a small amount of vinegar is taken from the smallest barrel, which is topped up with the one from the next larger barrel, and so on, while the largest one is filled with new must. The batteries are kept in the "acetaie", traditionally the attics of houses, where the heat of summer and the cold of winter promote evaporation and the slow transformation of the must into a dense, dark, glossy liquid, with a complex sweet and sour flavour. In Modenese families, a battery was often started at the birth of a daughter and given to her as a dowry. The vinegar is sold only in the 100 ml bottle designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, and a few drops are enough on Parmigiano Reggiano, strawberries or ice cream.
Tip: many family acetaie offer free guided tours with tastings; in Spilamberto, the Museum of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar tells its story.
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