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the present section you can find information on the procedure for
the production of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar generally. As regards
the Balsamico of Modena we are unable to furnish a recipe, as it would
be necessary first to have details which are available only to specialists;
also, the companies producing this vinegar maintain the strictest
secret of the procedure they adopt, as they consider it with great
pride an ancestral patrimony that carries their own distinctive touch.
Procedure
1.
The Traditional Balsamic of Modena is produced from local white
grapes strictly defined by set rules; the most important grape is
Trebbiano, which can be used also at the exclusion of others. Admitted
are also all the red Lambrusco grapes, as well as the other red
grapes traditionally cultivated together with the Lambrusco varieties
proper.
2. Through the squashing of such grapes a must unadulterated by
any chemical substances is obtained, and is simmered in open vases
of capacities that vary in accordance with production needs.
3. A serious reduction and concentration results. The liquid is
left to cool and to decant before being poured into the head barrels
of the batteries.
4. Batteries are in fact series of casks of varying capacities,
called vaselli, made of woods obtained from the several autochthonous
essences: oak, false acacia, mulberry, acacia, chesnut and juniper
-although the last of them, yielding through its resin a strong
flavour to the Balsamico, is not always adopted in the regular series,
but it is rather added apart. The casks getting proportionally smaller,
they satisfy the treble function of acetification, maturation and
ageing.
5. Treble having to be the function, the minimum number of the vaselli
in a battery must be three, whilst theoretically there is no upper
limit to their number, even though five seems to be the optimum.
The most popular capacities vary from 50 litres for the largest
cask, down to 10 litres for the smallest.
6. The largest vat receives the year’s simmered must; from
the smallest is spilt the Balsamico ready for use; the unfinished
product is added in the intermediate casks. As the contents of the
smallest cask diminishes because of spilling, it is replaced for
the correct quantity by taking from the cask immediately preceding,
and this one in turn will have to be fed from the next preceding
one, until the first and largest is reached. This, as said above,
is replenished with the must obtained from the year’s harvest.
7. The denomination of Balsamico is limited to vinegars which, obtained
in accordance with the procedure outlined above, have been started
no less than 12 years before in a battery previously implanted with
vinegar bacteria taken from other batteries already in full production.
8. Balsamico casks must not be filled completely, but only for two
thirds of their capacity, as good airing is needed for the reaction.
9. Annual drawings of Balsamico so obtained must be quite parsimonious,
as otherwise the remaining mix might be weakened and partly lose
its characteristics. It is advisable not to draw more than 50% of
the cask’s contents.
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