Description
Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena PDO is balsamic vinegar obtained from the must of typical grape varieties in the Province of Modena. It is aged for at least 12 years, and at least 25 years for the Extra Vecchio (Extra Aged) variety.
Production Area
The production area of Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena PDO is within the entire territory of the Province of Modena, in the Emilia Romagna region.
Production Method
Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena PDO is obtained exclusively from must originating from grapes belonging to the Lambrusco, Ancellotta, Trebbiano, Sauvignon, Sgavetta, Berzemino and Occhio di Gatta grape varieties, as well as other varieties registered under the PDO in the Province of Modena. After being pressed and before cooking, the fresh musts can be slightly refrigerated to facilitate decantation. The musts are cooked outdoors over a direct flame, at an average temperature of 80 °C. The cooked must is left to partially ferment and then grafted with old vinegar (vinegar mother), before being placed in the series of barrels that make up the “batch” of barrels in which fermentation, acetification and aging takes place, where it is left for at least 12 years. During this time, the barrels are decanted annually, which consists of restoring the level of each barrel, starting from the smallest, taking the necessary amount of vinegar from the previous barrel in the series; the last barrel, the largest (mother barrel), is brought back to level with cooked must.
Appearance and Flavour
Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena PDO is surprisingly complex, highlighted by its incredible olfactory intensity, harmonious taste, and persistent aftertaste; it is dark brown, sweet and sour.
History
The history of balsamic vinegar dates back to the times of the Duchy of Este, but this particularly unusual vinegar was only first mentioned in Vita Mathildis (c. 1115) a historical work by the Benedictine monk Donizone. Its production can be traced back to the times of the Roman Empire, when it was customary to cook grape must to obtain a thick condiment that could no longer be fermented. In the first century AD, Columella, a Latin writer who wrote about agronomy, recounted that the must cooked in the area had an aptitude to ferment and therefore to become sour (solet acescere). The long and complicated process of making the vinegar in batches was developed in the vinegar cellars of the richest and most aristocratic families in the area, for whom this expensive, unique and incomparable vinegar was a source of pride. The oldest technical evidence is a manuscript by Giorgio Gallesio (Appunti di Viaggio, 1839) and the letters written by the lawyer Francesco Aggazzotti in 1862.
Gastronomy
Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena PDO should be kept in a tightly closed glass recipient at room temperature. Thanks to its versatility, this product can be used in numerous recipes, from the simplest to the most elaborate and sophisticated. It comes into its own when paired with fresh and steamed vegetables, risotto, meat and fish, not to mention ice-cream and fruit.
Marketing
The product is marketed in the following varieties: Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena PDO (if aged at least 12 years) and Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena PDO Extra Vecchio (if aged at least 25 years). All producers must sell their product in the famous 100 ml bottle designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro.
Distinctive Features
Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena PDO is the result of the pedoclimatic characteristics of the production area and the variety of grapes cultivated in the Province of Modena, combined with the art of must cooking and the annual decanting of the vinegar from barrel to barrel. Thanks to the specific microclimate, the wood used, the procedures for cooking the must, the age of the barrels and the producers’ “know-how”, each vinegar producer produces traditional balsamic vinegar with particular characteristics and aromas.
