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The
typical balsamic vinegar of Modena has its roots in one of the
oldest Italian food traditions. This product is appreciated  worldwide
and used in the menus by the most famous restaurants all over
the world. This Modenese vinegar perfectly suits even the most
differing courses, from starters to desserts: a few drops of vinegar
can be tasted on a piece of Parmesan Cheese, on a strawberry salad
or on a simple omelette.
The traditional Modenese balsamic vinegar has been recognised
as a D.O.C. product and very strict rules of production have been
fixed. It must be produced exclusively in Modena from grapes grown
in the Modenese province. According to the tradition, the production
requires the use of sweet, white “Trebbiano” grapes.
This kind of sweet grape is cultivated in the area of Castelvetro:
a commune located in the Modenese hills. This grape must be picked
at the end of the grape harvest, to ensure that the fruit is
exposed to the sun for as long time as possible.
The vinegar is usually obtained through a complex process of the
acetic fermentation of grape must, which is heated over a direct
flame in big open vessels, then filtered, cooled and transferred
to special casks made from different kinds of wood (mulberry,
ash, cherry, chestnut and oak) and characterised by decreasing
sizes.
The long process of fermentation usually takes place in attics.
The must is transferred from one cask to another and the annual
variations in temperature (from sweltering heat in summer to freezing
cold in winter) guarantee the quality of balsamic vinegar over
the years.
Before being put on the market, the vinegar must be certified
and approved by a committee set up by the “Consorzio Produttori
Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale”: the consortium of traditional
balsamic vinegar producers. Once it has passed the committee checks,
the vinegar can be transferred to a small bottle, which is identical
for all producers. Onto this bottle the seal of the Consorzio
and the producer's own label is affixed.
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