Balsamic starts with cooking the juice of the white Trebbiano and Lambrusco grapes (called must) over an open wood fire. (Some producers use other grape as well, including: Ancellotta, Sauvignon and Sgavetta, Occhio di Gatto, Spergola, and Berzemino.) As the must cooks down, the sugar level rises as the water evaporates and the flavor intensifies. The fermentation begins when previously aged balsamic vinegar is added to the must.
As times goes by, and according to the taste and palate of individual producers, the fermenting liquid is transferred to progressively smaller barrels. This sequence of barrels of different sizes and woods, such as oak, walnut, ash, acacia, chestnut, mulberry, etc., is known as a "batteria." A batteria could consist of as few as three barrels and as many as ten. Part of each barrels contents - but never all of it - is decanted to the next smaller barrel, again based on the judgment of the producer. For years the vinegar goes through what is called maturation in the middle part of batteria, then enters the aging phase in the last few barrels. For the most traditional balsamic, Tradizionale, the ultimate step is decantation into the smallest barrel where it rests and matures.
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History
The first written documentation of traditional balsamic vinegar dates back to 1046, when Henry III, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, on his way to Rome for coronation, stopped in Piacenza, and wrote Marquis of Tuscany Boniface, asking for a gift of famous and special vinegar he had heard about.
Invented centuries ago for the exclusive use by kings, emperors, and nobility, families hid their barrels in attics to protect them from thieves and envious competitors. Some families still use barrel sets which were first used more than a century before…and a few families own and use aging barrels first used in the 18th century.
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Acetaia
Traditionally made on the family farm, the balsamic vinegar spends its maturation in the attic of the barn or house, or in the attic of the acetaia, or "vinegar house". Being up in the attic exposes the barrels and contents to the seasonal weather. This is an essential: heat promotes fermentation and acetification, cold allows resting and maturation. This harmony with nature allows the balsamic vinegar to develop for years, sometimes for centuries. It's thick, almost syrupy, texture captures flavors ranging from caramel and currants to traces of oak and juniper.
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About the Consorzio
Traditionally known as the "birthplace" of balsamic vinegar,
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Grades of Balsamic
Traditional balsamic (ACETO BALSAMICO TRADIZIONALE), the most prized of vinegars, has two grades: Those aged a minimum of twelve years, and those aged more than 25 years, which is then called extravecchio or "very old." The Balsamico Tradizionale is bottled under strict controls by the personnel of the Consorzio. These rare vinegars earn the privilege of being bottled in hand blown 100 ml. bottles of their respective regions; the Modenese use the distinctive flask shaped bottle created by Giugiaro of Ferrari design fame. Traditional balsamic vinegar is truly unique, rare, and expensive, but the taste more than compensates the higher cost.
While Tradizionale is the premium, most desirable, and rarest of balsamics, vinegar that producers choose to market in their own packaging, is officially labeled "Condimento."
It is possible to find spectacular condimenti, such as we offer, as well as lesser imitations and poor quality batches. So in a further effort to protect the reputation of balsamics, Sr. Giovanni Leonardi and others established the Consorzio of Balsamic Condimenti in 2000. Products that are adulterated, very young, or not aged in wood, will not receive the condimento label. A ring on the neck of the bottle assures consumers of the higher quality product.
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