About Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PDO

The Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena P.D.O. is unique in the world of vinegar-based dressings. It is obtained exclusively in the province of Modena from cooked grape-must. It is rich and of a dark glossy color. Its characteristic density manifests in its correct, smooth flowing syrupiness.

Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena P.D.O. is obtained from crushed grape-must which is cooked, matured through slow acidification, deriving from natural fermentation and progressive concentration, and through lengthy aging in a series of small barrels of different kinds of wood, with no addition of aromatic substances.

It has a characteristic and complex, penetrating bouquet together with an agreeable and balanced acidity. Its traditional and inimitable flavor is a delicate balance of sweet and sour, full-flavored with velvet undertones.

Simple ancient producers. The production follows simple and precise procedures according to the TBVM regulations, which must be carried accurately, in the correct sequence, choosing the most suitable time and place. Personal touches, however, do exist, and these are passed down, most often by word-of-mouth, from generation to generation. The procedure necessary in order to obtain TBVM consists of three basic stages:

1. The harvesting of the grapes. In order to obtain the TBVM, the grapes harvested must be those "used for the wine traditionally cultivated in the province of Modena", and in particular, from Lambrusco and Trebbiano grapes.

2. The pressing of the grapes and the cooking of the grape must. The cooking of the must should occur almost simultaneously as the pressing. The must is cooked for several hours over a "direct flame and in an open vessel" until it reaches a concentration averaging around 50%.

3. The aging. Aging takes place in a series of small barrels made of different kinds of woods and having decreasing volume, usually kept in the attic of the house. Every year, using a special method of decanting, the smallest cask of the sequence provides a few liters of the product, while the reduction due to concentration is compensated by the addition of cooked grape-must to a larger cask. Only after at least 12 or 25 years of maturing does the product reach that surprising balance of aromas and flavor that allows it to bear the title of Protected Origin Denomination (P.D.O.).

 

Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PDO products on Medineterranean:

Balsamic Vinegar of Modena Tradizionale Affinato DOP

Fattoria Estense Balsamic Vinegar of Modena Extravecchio DOP 25 Years