My Italian Adventure

Balsamic Vinegar of Modena

High up on my list of must-do's when planning our adventure in Italy was visiting a facility where I could learn about and taste balsamic vinegar. And I was not disappointed.

I am a lover of vinegar. I love its tartness and the 'brightness' it adds to dressing, soups, vegetables and marinades. I have many flavoured kinds, from rice vinegar to white wine vinegar and of course, balsamic vinegar. Peter, however, is not such a fan. He finds the smell off-putting. In fact, has been known to wrinkle his nose when he comes home and finds the kitchen filled with the smell.

But on this bright Saturday morning, at 10 am before we had even had breakfast (we were running a smidge late - which we will blame firmly on jet lag), there he was, ready and willing to taste test Balsamic Vinegar along with me. From a tasting spoon. By itself. With not even a piece of bread to dip it in!! That is taking one for the team! LOL

Acetaia Malpighi Showroom

We visited the Acetaia Malpighi showroom in Modena and received a guided tasting and learned a bit about the history of how their balsamic vinegar is made. So very cool. My next visit, I will look into a tasting experience that includes food pairings or a cooking class...Things to add to my bucket list.

I was trying hard to remember all the details as our guide explained, but I'm sure I missed some, due to my preoccupation with tasting! So I peeked at their website to check my facts. I'll apologize in advance for any misinterpretation, which is entirely my fault. And the guide shared some really cool things which are not on the website.

The basics (as best I understand and remember) are that their balsamic vinegars are aged in a series of wooden barrels for a minimum of 12 years. Some are aged longer - for 25 - 50 years. These command a higher price and are called extra aged. The flavour is very different from younger ones. They do have some limited editions that are aged for even longer and in different barrels, but that's as much of those details as I retained.

The vinegar is made with cooked grape must, not wine, which also creates a unique flavour. And there are specific varities of grapes that are used.

We learned that in Modena it is common for families to make their own balsamic vinegar. In fact, each family usually has its own recipe and combination of wood barrels they use to create 'their' family's brand of balsamic vinegar. Barrels are made of cherry, acacia, chestnut, mulberry and juniper woods.

The aging process happens in a series of 5 barrels, which decrease in size. At the start of the aging process, all the barrels are filled with 'must'. The barrels are stored in an area where the barrels will experience the heat of the summer and the cold of the winter, as this is an essential part of the process. The differences in temperature cause water to evaporate from the must, which thickens the must into the more familiar thick syrupy balsamic vinegar. Once a year, usually in the winter, must is moved from the larger casks to fill the smaller ones.

This is a pretty neat process. What happens is the smallest cask is refilled with the must from the cask next to it, and so on until the small casks are all filled up, leaving the largest cask only partially full. To this cask, new 'must' is added. And the process continues, for a minimum of 12 years. Once the must in the smallest barrel has been aged for at least 12 years, it can be bottled.

One of the interesting details shared by the guide was that when a new baby is born to a family, a set of casks is created for the child. When the child grows up and gets married or moves from home, they are presented with a balsamic vinegar that has aged along with them. What a beautiful tradition.

We were able to smell the must in the different casks. There is a "breathing hole" in each cask and wow, can you ever smell the difference as the must becomes more concentrated and closer to the final balsamic vinegar. The smallest barrel had the sweetest and most intense smell. They had several different barrels for us to "sniff test". You can see the one on the end below was oozing vinegar. A bit of a sticky situation!

We had samples of 12 year, 25 year and 50 year balsamic vinegar. The more aged vinegars were much thicker than the 12 year type, and the guide explained that their uses are different.

The younger vinegars, like the one we brought home, can be used in recipes or added by droplet on pasta, fish or meats.

Basically, the guide said, any food you want, as they are all made better with balsamic vinegar!

The more aged vinegars, 25 years plus, are considered digestifs, for use after a meal or served by droplet on Parmesan cheese, strawberries or ice cream.

Balsamic Vinegar of Modena

The beautiful bottle is another special part of the balsamic vinegar of Modena. There are specific conditions governing the production, labelling and bottling of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena. Only vinegars that follow the process can be placed in this bottle. It comes packaged with its own stopper and cork. Once the jar is opened, this little spout is used to dispense the droplets of this delicious vinegar.

White Balsamic Vinegar

They also make white balsamic vinegar, which I have noticed in recipes but had a very hard time finding at home. We learned that white balsamic vinegar is made, not unsurprisingly, from only white grapes, but that traditional balsamic vinegar is made from a combination of both red and white grapes. Neat.

Of course, we had to bring some of that back too!

BBQ Sauce

The last thing we wanted to tuck into our suitcase (and this was the first but not the last step in the need for checked baggage on the way home) was BBQ sauce made with balsamic vinegar of Modena. OMG what flavour. Peter was the one who requested that addition. I think he has visions of smoked brisket sauced with this...

This visit has definitely expanded my ideas of all the uses of balsamic vinegar. I found a new source of recipes (YAY) and serving ideas. Balsamic vinegar on strawberries was already in my summer meal plans, but I picked up a couple more easy ideas to amp up the flavour of some of my favourite fruits and veggies. Not to mention the complete joy of pairing aged Parmesan with a drop of vinegar. If you have not done this, put it on your list of 'Must-Taste' experiences.

After our tour and tasting, we needed a snack... so around the corner we went, to the bistro. With the gorgeous backdrop of the Palazzo Ducale di Modena (Ducal Palace), we enjoyed coffee and filled croissants. Lemon for me and custard for Peter.

This Palace is now the home of the Military Academy of Modena. It certainly had some interesting characters hanging out at the doors and windows...

We were able to identify two of the three... Hercules and the three-headed dog and Consul Emilio Lepido. The two heads over the door? No idea.

And with that, my mouth is watering, so it may be time to go find a piece of cheese with a drop of balsamic vinegar...

Disclaimer: I receive no compensation from any person or business mentioned in the post.