Traditional Italian balsamic vinegar and "The angels part"

It is the traditional way, passed down from generation to generation. Italians call it Solera gold perpetuum. The ancient process, unlike any other, produces perhaps the most precious seasoning in the world. Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale.

The regions of Reggio Emilia and Modena have been producing the revered liquid since the Middle Ages. These are the only two regions in Italy that can produce real traditional balsamic vinegar. The names “Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Reggio“Y “Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena“are protected by Donominazione di Origine Protetta and the “Protected Designation of Origin” of the European Union.

Originally a product available only to the Italian upper classes, a cheaper form of balsamic vinegar was developed and widely available in the late 20th century. These products may be of very high quality, some even made using the same traditional methods, but few rival the carefully crafted and aged sour wonders of Modena and Reggio Emilia.

Most commercial balsamic sold in supermarkets today is typically made with red wine vinegar or concentrated grape juice mixed with strong vinegar and mixed with caramel and sugar. Additives such as guar gum and cornmeal are sometimes used as thickeners. There is no aging involved with the making of this product. But regardless of how it’s produced, all vinegar that bears the name balsamic must be made, to some extent, from grapes.

Traditional balsamic vinegar typically ages 12 to 25 years, although there are some hidden in old attics that are over 100 years old. Older vintages can cost upwards of $ 500 for a 100 ml (3.38 ounce) bottle!

Reggio Emilia and Modena balsamic differ from each other in several ways. The most obvious difference is the shape of the bottles. Modena uses a plump, bulbous bottle, while Reggio Emilia uses an inverted tulip shape. The two provinces also use different ways of indicating the age of their respective acetos. Modena traditional use a cream-colored stopper for balsamic aged for at least 12 years and a golden stopper with the designation extravecchio indicates that the jam-like juice has aged for 25 years or more. Reggio emilia traditional aceto wear a red tag for 12 years; silver for 18 years; and gold for 25 years or more.

One can only imagine the claims of various Italian families over the years as to which is the best. traditional aceto. Suffice to say, they are all extraordinarily delicious and syrupy, and when first tasted, a life-changing experience.

Tasting Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale it is a lot like tasting wine. The difference is that you taste a very small amount of balsamic. Traditionally, this legendary vinegar is tasted by placing a small portion on the back of the hand, in the shallow bowl created by the base of the thumb and knuckle of the index finger, and licking hard. Olive oils are often tested in this way as well.

The key to any well-made vinegar, like good wine, is balance. Of course, all vinegars will show relatively high acidity, but aceto it has a well-balanced acidity with the fruit of the vine and other flavors.

The artisanal process begins, as it has done for centuries, by cooking the grape must in large copper cauldrons over an open fire until it is reduced to around 30-50% of its original volume. What results is called cotto must (literally means: cooked grape juice). English-speaking winemakers call it a “must”.

Tea cotto must It is aged in a series of up to seven barrels of successively smaller calibers. During the aging period, a small portion evaporates to the heavens: the angels’ part. The barrels are made of different types of wood such as oak, chestnut, cherry, acacia, mulberry, ash and juniper.

None of those in development aceto it is withdrawn until the end of the minimum aging period of 12 years. At the end of the aging period, a small proportion is removed from the smallest barrel and each of the other barrels is filled with the contents of the previous one (the next largest). The freshly brewed wort is added to the largest keg and the “draw and fill” process is repeated every year. The relatively small portion taken from the smallest and oldest barrel is the acclaimed Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale!

Unlike wine, aceto Kegs are not corked, nor pampered like their prized counterparts. The barrels are generally kept in lofts where the windows are left open, exposing the barrels to the cold of winter and the heat of summer. The openings of the barrels are covered with a cloth so that the contents breathe easily and experience the climate that changes from season to season, from year to year; just to be bothered once a year by the in perpetuum process.

The subtleties of individual family recipes define each aceto in his own special way. The combination of the variety and maturity of the grapes, and the type and sequence of the wooden barrels make it a timeless art, requiring years of attention to detail to produce. Some say that the precious juice: “tastes at the same time”.

The widely advertised vinegar is incredibly concentrated with the intense flavors of the grapes and the notes of the different hand-selected wooden barrels. Grapes are harvested late for the sweetest, most concentrated fruit.

Trebbiano is the primary grape used for the traditional but other varietals like Lambrusco, Occhio di Gatto, Spergola, and Berzemino are used in smaller portions to round out the cuvee, just like Bordeaux-style wines. The different combinations of these varieties are sometimes family secrets that have been passed down from generation to generation.

At a price equivalent to some of the best wines in the world, the use of Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale it is generally limited to very small portions and is therefore elevated to the category of real seasoning. That is, a small amount is all it takes to extract goodness from everything it touches, just like angels do.