On Friday I took trip North West to Modena, Spilamberto, and Levizzano to learn all about balsamic vinegar as part of my internship with Taste of Italy. I had no idea how delicious true, real balsamic vinegar is and how long and delicate the process is to produce just one of bottle of vinegar.
We stopped by an acetaia (home where they produce balsamic vinegar) which was in a 500 year old house and where they had been making balsamic vinegar for at least 200 years, the tradition being passed down through the family.
The process of making true Traditional Balsamic Vinegar from Modena starts with collecting the two types of grapes from the Emilia- Romagna region, Lambrusco and Trebbiano, and gently pressing them, then stewing over 90ยบ C just below boiling for 12- 15 hours until all that remains is the concentrated juice known as grape must.
Once there only remains the must, it is placed into what is called a "mother barrel" where it must sit for 1 year. After the year is passed, the juice is divided into various barrels of 7 different wood varieties- ash, oak, cherry, mulberry, juniper, chestnut, and acacia. This is where the aging starts and will last between at least 12 years to 25 years if not more!
In order to produce a 12 year balsamic vinegar you need a minimum of 5 barrels starting with a significantly large one, gradually getting smaller. This where different varieties of vinegar come from. You can choose to have 5 barrels of the same wood such as juniper, or you can have a mix of wood types to give a blend of flavors. The barrel is only ever filled 3/4 of the way and after 1 year of fermentation the liquid from the 2nd smallest barrel with be transferred into the smallest, then from the 3rd smallest barrel into the 2nd smallest so on and so on.
This process always takes place in the attic of the acetaia, because the fermentation process needs both the heat from summer and the cold from winter. The final result will produce a rich, glossy, smooth, dark brown vinegar with a complex flavor which balances between the sweetness and sourness of the grapes and the different aromas from the wood caskets.
But that still isn't the end of the process. For the balsamic vinegar to be deemed as Traditional Balsamic Vinegar from Modena with D.O.P mark it must go through an anonymous judging process where the vinegar will be graded on scale of 400 on density, color, brightness, intensity, fineness, acidity, fullness, flavor, and aroma.
It is truly a remarkable process with a delectable result.
