Acetaia Reale - Balsamic Vinegar of Modena

"Da Magreta" was the phrase locals would use when referring to the 19th century hamlet where the classic balsamic vinegar was produced near Modena. Ideal temperature conditions and the appropriate wine varieties have made this area the only place in the world where for centuries balsamic has been produced. The vinegar of Acetaia Reale is one of the finest, while their production spans across a great number of varieties ranging from two year to one hundred year aged vinegar, saba, cooked wine, and balsamic fruit compotes. The old folks at Magreta are pictured here taking a break from work.

Geographic Location - Time - Tradition

Italy is gifted with a large spectrum of microclimates and ideal soil conditions which are at the root of its wonderful diversity and excellence in foods. The area around Modena in the region of Emilia Romagna is marked by a climate with sharp differences in temperature, and Trebbiano and Lambrusco typical regional grapes. Both these factors are key to the production of the highly sought after balsamics we know today. Grapes from the vines like the ones pictured here are carefully selected and processed before being bottled for use in the kitchen.

 

Harvest occurs from September to October and only ripe and sun exposed grapes are selected and hand picked. The precious fruit is then pressed with the "soft" method to obtain a high quality "must". The following day the must is cooked in open steel vats over a low flame for 36-48 hours until a concentration of the must is obtained that is 50% or more. At this point, some of the products are bottled as Vin Cotto, while the majority of the must is destined for the battery of vats that will hold and age this essence of grapes.

Traditional Aging of Balsamics in a Battery of Wood Vats

The secret of the exquisite flavors in the differently aged vinegars lies in the attics of the old farmhouses of the Modena area. Here the very hot temperatures of summer yield to the freezing temperatures of winter in this northeastern part of Italy, an essential element in the proper aging of balsamic vinegar. Centuries old tradition calls for acidification by the vinegar bacteria of the "mother" vinegar, maturation, and aging in a series of small to larger wooden vats of wood ranging from oak, chestnut, cherry, ash to locust, mulberry and juniper. Each of these woods will lend a different flavor to the vinegar aged in it, and Acetaia Reale has over 1600 of these wood barrels stored in its attics.

Balsamic Vinegar Decanting - A Secret Art

Key to the exquisite flavors that are encapsulated in a bottle of balsamic vinegar is the technique of annual pouring of the vinegar from one wooden barrel to the next, a traditional art that is handed down from one generation to the next and performed by the Vinegar Master. The vinegar for consumption is decanted from the smallest barrel, which is then refilled with the liquid from the next size barrel, and so forth from barrel to barrel until the largest barrel is decanted. This in turn is refilled with the new cooked must. This process is repeated year after year with meticulous care, until vinegars that are 50, 100 year olds are obtained, and that have wonderful bitter sweet flavors and a thick, dark brown appearance.

 

Julius Caesar's legions at the time of the Gallic wars were accustomed to using acetified cooked must called "sapum" (Saba), while the first documentation reporting the use of balsamic vinegar goes back to 1000 AD. Officially, in 1600 Modena became famous for balsamic vinegar when it was declared capital of the Estensi Dukedom which is where early barrels of balsamic vinegar had been guarded since the 1200s. Today, Acetaia Reale that Italian Harvest imports from Modena refers back to its ancient traditional methods of producing balsamics, and is one of the finest balsamic vinegars that you can find today on the world market, with a classic Italian look featuring on the gold label one of the founding fathers of the acetaia, and an official red wax seal on its cork guaranteeing the highest quality. Choose below from any of these exquisite products we are presently importing to the United States.