- Wine in the cellar and vinegar in the attic

Picture taken inside Italian tunnel

One of the reasons we we came to Emilia Romagna was to see and taste the regions DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) balsamic vinegar. In the late 70's a consortium established a series of controls and rules for producing "true" balsamic vinegar based on century-old methods. In the early 2000's the European Union granted the product from this region DOP certification. Balsamic vinegar now produced under these rules, which strictly define the materials, methods, the bottling requirements and
include a "sensory verification" of end product, is protected under the European Designation of Origin.

We visited the balsamic vinegar producer "Acetaia di Giorgio". Giorgio's family of 16 brothers and sisters have been producing balsamic since the mid 1800's. Initially for family and friends, and in the last generation Giorgio and her immediate family have taken on small-scale commercial production. Per the governing body, DOP certified balsamic manufacturers annual production cannot exceed 1% of their total capacity. For Giorgio and her family this equates to 2000 100ml bottles a year.

Producing DOP certified balsamic is a multi-generational, long-term commitment since it must be aged in a battery of wood barrels for a minimum of either 12 years (white cap) or 25 years (gold cap). It's understandable how the process itself (i.e. barrels, contents, etc) can be considered a significant dowry within a family. Some of these barrels are over 50 years old and continue to be used. As our host said, "there's nothing complicated about it, but it takes a long long time". The fundamental steps of production include: 1) Grape harvest and mashing, 2) Grape cooking, 3) Oxidation and Fermentation, and finally 4) Aging.

In the attic ready to taste

Our tour took place in a home not unlike many others in the area. Built in 1860 it was a two-story block style, concrete-over-stone home in the outskirts of Modena (Moh-dah-nah). After we heard a little bit about the family we climbed up to the attic to see the operation. Balsamic vinegar requires wide seasonal temperature variation. The hot summer months help activate the bacteria and allow the vinegar to ferment and concentrate. Evaporation also occurs in summer since, unlike wine, vinegar barrels are left open with bung hole covered with a cotton or linen cloth. The cold winter months provide a chance for the product to rest and deposit. According to our guide, this is why traditional family homes have, "...vinegar in the attic and wine in the cellar".

Barrel bung hole left open on top 

The raw materials for DOP balsamic can include only one thing, grapes. Nothing else can be added. If the vinegar contains sugar or any other additives it is not DOP certified balsamic vinegar. Another identifier is the bottle. It must be a specific shape and size (100 ml).

The precious liquid in the specified bottles

The vinegar is aged in a 5-barrel battery with each subsequent barrel decreasing in size (e.g. 50 to 15L). The barrels are generally made from Ash, Oak, Mulberry, Chestnut, Juniper, or Cherry. The mix of woods within the battery plays a large part in determining the characteristics of the final product. It was initially required that both the grapes and the wood used in production be locally sourced, but more recently it's difficult to locally source some of these woods such as juniper. It's easy to see why locally sourced barrels owned by a family since the early 1900's would be considered precious.

Aging is a continuous process within the battery ensuring the vinegar concentrates over time. As the process completes in the last barrel, a portion (maybe 50%) of this final barrel is withdrawn and replaced with part of the vinegar from the preceding larger barrel. This process is repeated across the battery until "new" vinegar is then added to the first and largest barrel. Therefore, each barrel contains a blend of vinegar with different concentration. Assuming the producer is meeting the 12 or 25 year aging requirement, it can be seen that the overall blend in the final barrel exceeds the minimum age. We finished our visit with a tasting of six different vinegars, which were all outstanding.

The vinegar being aged in the barrel batteries

For every batch of vinegar produced a sample is pulled and confirmed by a "professional taster" who verifies the smell, taste and visual characteristics of the product. If the batch does not meet the minimum criteria it can not be released; however, the aging process can be continued until acceptable results are achieved.

Criteria scoring sheet used to judge vinegar

It's traditional to start a batch for major familial events. We purchased a bottle of gold cap vinegar started in 1986 at the birth of the owners daughter, Carlotta, and bottled last year. The vinegar is named after her and was aged in a battery of chestnut, cherry and juniper (providing hints of pepper), According to our host, Carlotta's boyfriend, this is a unique combination of woods. It's very very good, and if anyone would like a taste when they visit please let us know!