Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PDO - "Extravecchio"

The production area of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PDO includes the entire territory of the province of Modena, in the region of Emilia-Romagna.

Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PDO is obtained exclusively from the must of grapes from the vineyards of Lambrusco, Ancellotta, Trebbiano, Sauvignon, Sgavetta, Berzemino, Occhio di Gatto and other minor vines registered for the PDO in the province of Modena. Following crushing, before being cooked, the fresh musts may undergo decanting and refrigeration as long as the watery part does not freeze. Cooking takes place over direct heat in an open-air boiler at temperatures of around 80 °C. The resulting product (cooked must) is grafted with old vinegar (mother graft) and undergoes a fermentation, acetification and ageing process. All this takes place in a battery of casks for a minimum of 12 years, following the practice of annual decanting, which consists of bringing each cask, starting with the smallest, back up to the level with the necessary amount of vinegar, taking it from the previous cask in the battery; the last cask, the largest (mother cask) is instead brought back up to the level with acetified must.

The adjective 'balsamic' is mentioned in documents dating back to the time of the Duchy of Este, but the first testimony that speaks of this very special vinegar is the 'Vita Mathildis', a poem by the monk Donizone di Canossa in the 11th century. Production could be traced back to the times of the Roman Empire, when it was customary to cook grape must to obtain a thick condiment that could no longer be fermented. Columella in fact, a Roman agricultural scholar, reported in the 1st century A.D. how must cooked in the area had a tendency to ferment and thus become acidic (solet acescere). The battery process then developed in the vinegar cellars of the most aristocratic families, in which their vinegar was considered unique and inimitable, and therefore a source of pride. The oldest technical evidence is Giorgio Gallesio's manuscript (Giornali di Viaggio, 1839) and the letters of the lawyer Francesco Aggazzotti from 1862.

Characteristics

Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PDO is characterised by an uncommon complexity that is evidenced by great olfactory intensity, harmony to the taste and long aftertaste persistence. It is dark brown in colour, sweet and sour.

Pairings

Thanks to its versatility, this product can be used in the kitchen to prepare countless recipes, from the simplest and simplest to the most refined and elaborate. It finds its greatest expression when combined with fresh and boiled vegetables, with risottos, with meat and fish dishes, on ice cream and fruit (especially strawberries). Excellent with meat carpaccio, beef and pork fillets, boiled meats and roasts. It can also be enjoyed on its own, on a ceramic or plastic spoon (never metal because it alters the flavour) at the end of a meal to cleanse the palate.

Store at room temperature in a cool, dry place away from heat sources.