From an accompaniment to French fries at the local burger joint to hint of acid added to Michelin-starred dishes, balsamic vinegar is one of the most recognisable condiments on the global table. And yet, many have never tasted the real “black gold” of Modena, Italy. It takes 12 years to make the best, aceto balsamico tradizionale (traditional balsamic vinegar), and at least 25 to make the finest, extra Vecchio.
Because of traditional balsamic vinegar’s painstaking artisanal production process, supplies are limited, and it tends to be rather pricey. And so, as the global demand for it has risen since the early 1980s, a market for imitation balsamic vinegar and cheaper products has exploded. In one instance in March 2019, a dramatic Interpol operation in northern Italy seized 9,000 tonnes of crushed grapes intended to be made into fake balsamic vinegar.
Traditional balsamic vinegar from the two provinces of Modena and Reggio Emilia in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy is made from grape varieties grown in the mildly calcareous soil of the provinces. “To produce it, mosto cotto (cooked must, or crushed grape juice including the skin, stem and seeds) is progressively aged for decades in sets of aromatic wooden barrels known as a batteria (battery),” said Lara Vecchi, a fifth-generation traditional balsamic vinegar maker at Acetaia Bompana in Modena. This slow process takes place in an acetaia, a dimly lit attic, where its cold in the winter and warm in the summer, and this change of temperature is key to a fragrant, dark and thick liquid with the perfect balance of sweet and tangy flavours.
In 1860, Francesco Agazzotti, a Modenese nobleman and balsamic aficionado, wrote a detailed account of the production of traditional balsamic vinegar in Modena in a letter to his friend Pio Fabriani. This document is the basis of the method used today for production of the Protected Designation of Origin (DOP) product, emblematic of Italy’s artisanal gastronomy. Every aspect of traditional balsamic making must adhere to this, so producers can use the coveted certifications.
The slow aging of balsamic takes place in barrels in an acetaia (a dimly lit attic) (Credit: Priya Mani)
Traditional balsamic vinegar is so expensive that it is served by the drop. A mere 100ml bottle can be priced starting at €125. The region’s production is limited to only about 8,000 litres annually. Yet, it is hard to comprehend the long-standing tradition and the gastronomic complexity underlying this remarkable product. Confusion thrives in the market due to labelling strategies and ignorant use of terms in mass-market brands, as well as counterfeit and low-grade products.
Balsamic vinegar that is not labelled “tradizionale” (traditional) is a blend of wine vinegar and grape must, made from grapes with no particular provenance and aged in wooden or steel barrels for just a few months.
According to food historian Maureen Fant, “The lesser categories of balsamic vinegar can be used in cooking, but people should learn to read labels. The tradizionale has one ingredient – simply mosto cotto, while all the other kinds are either a mix of vinegar and mosto, down to the ones that are just made with vinegar, coloured and flavoured for an air of verisimilitude.”
Grapes from the harvest await being crushed, cooked and aged (Credit: Priya Mani)
The region of Emilia-Romagna is dotted with many producers of traditional balsamic vinegar, most of which are small family-run acetaias. I spent time at Vecchi’s family acetaia to learn how traditional balsamic vinegar is aged in a succession of large to small special wood barrels.
In late autumn, bunches of ripe Trebbiano grapes are harvested from the Vecchi family’s farmlands and brought to the acetaia to be cleaned, juiced and cooked down to a dark, luscious, velvety liquid. When the cooked grape juice is poured into the barrels, wild yeasts looming in the air spontaneously start fermentation, making it very mildly alcoholic. Both wild and introduced acetobacter, a genus of acetic acid bacteria, colonises the barrels and slowly transforms the juice into a syrup with a lively tanginess and a fresh, fruity base note, reminiscent of the grape and a hint of wood.
Transformation happens through all four seasons, making tending to the balsamic barrels a continuous task. Makers use sensorial cues like smell and taste to slowly encourage acetobacterial strains that can survive the high sugar concentrations in the barrels and high temperature variances typical of attics. When I visited in early spring, Vecchi and her family were performing an annual refilling of the barrels with balsamic from other barrels. This is because the acetaia suffers from the previous summer’s heat, which draws out moisture from the full barrels, causing 20% of the balsamic fermenting inside to evaporate.
Lara Vecchi of Acetaia Bompana assesses the balsamic every spring (Credit: Priya Mani)
“We assess the levels of balsamic in each barrel in early spring, when the air is still cold and crisp,” explained Vecchi. “We refill the barrels in a process called rincalzo [the topping up of the liquid into smaller barrels in the battery], unique to traditional balsamic vinegar, starting with the smallest barrel in the set – enough quantity from the preceding barrel is used to top up the barrel, compensating for the balsamic lost from evaporation. In this way, we proceed to the last and largest barrel, which is filled with new cooked grape must.”
Evaporation catalyses a sublime metamorphosis, as the balsamic slowly turns thick with sugars. This process is repeated every spring for at least 12 years before the aged liquid from the smallest barrel is tested and tasted by an expert panel. Traditional balsamic vinegar can be bottled only from the smallest barrels.
“There can be five to nine barrels in a batteria,” explained Francesco Renzi, whose family has run their namesake cooperage, Francesco Renzi, for over 500 years. “Different aromatic hardwoods like oak, chestnut, ash, juniper and cherry, and fruitwoods like mulberry, apple, acacia and pear are used in the construction of the barrels, making a significant contribution to balsamic’s bouquet of aromas.” The shape and size of the barrels maximises the surface area of wood in contact with the vinegar, allowing for the exchange of flavours and aromas between the wood and the vinegar.
The Renzi family uses local Italian wood to make barrels for balsamic (Credit: Priya Mani)
The first batteries at Acetaia Bompana were started by Vecchi’s great-great-grandparents and have been tended to for generations.
According to Vecchi, with a very old battery, or set of barrels, you can make a 25-year-old – or older – balsamic called Riserva referred to as extra Vecchio, which literally means “very old” in Italian. However, no matter how old your barrels are, you cannot write the year on the bottles – just the history and age of that group of barrels.
“In Modena, we believe that the barrels must never be emptied. Blending by the rincalzo method makes it challenging to assess the accurate age of a traditional balsamic vinegar, as there is always a little bit of vintage in the barrel. The amount that remains in the barrel thus becomes a historical memory of each refilling, some, as in our case, since 1850,” explained Vecchi.
When it has achieved the qualities expected, the balsamic is bottled and sealed in special 100ml clear glass bottles. The seal is numbered as a guarantee of authenticity against the wave of fake balsamic.
According to Fant, historically, Modena’s vinegar was considered a premium item, and rulers and potentates used to give it to each other as gifts. “It wasn’t called ‘balsamico’ until 1747, first mentioned in a palace inventory. Modena’s nobility actively traded it in the following centuries, and with the unification of Italy in 1860, balsamico became the star of local trade expos,” she said. “Aceto balsamico is a living history, and I am concerned about this expensive niche product’s transformation to an international juggernaut.”
The annual refilling of the barrels is in the spring at Bompana’s vineyards in Modena (Credit: Priya Mani)
Running a traditional acetaia today can be also a challenge for many small acetaias like Vecchi’s. Climate change is affecting Italian viticulture, as seasons are marked by untimely rain and frost, and summers are getting hotter. As a result, the grapes are unpredictably sweeter with low acidity and are less flavourful. Furthermore, local forest management laws have capped the use of exotic woods like juniper and mulberry used for making barrels.
Still, small producers continue the tradition, and anyone who tastes real balsamic vinegar will understand the difference. With the level of expertise and time it takes to create this liquid “black gold”, Vecchi emphasised how a little balsamic goes a long way. “Drizzle just a few drops over fresh fruit, like strawberries or melon and let it sit for about 30 minutes,” she said. “An omelette with a few drops of traditional balsamic vinegar is an everyday luxury, as are Modenese specialities like calzogatti (polenta cooked with beans), maltagliati con verdure (pasta with vegetables) and aged Parmesan cheese too.”
These polenta cakes, called calzogatti, are drizzled with balsamic, aka “black gold” (Credit: Priya Mani)
Calzogatti con aceto balsamico recipe By Lara Vecchi
Serves 6
4 cups water 1 tsp salt 1 cup polenta (corn meal) 2 tbsp olive oil 1 can borlotti beans, drained 1 tomato, diced 1 clove garlic, finely minced a few sprigs of rosemary, finely chopped 2 tbsp neutral oil, such as vegetable traditional balsamic vinegar, for serving
Method
Step 1 In a large pot, bring the water to a boil and add the salt. Slowly and steadily add the polenta, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent any clumps. Reduce the heat to medium and let it cook slowly, stirring for about 30 minutes, until thick, smooth and creamy.
Step 2 Meanwhile, in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the beans, tomato, garlic and cook for a few minutes, until thick and saucy. Stir in the chopped rosemary.
Step 3 Mix the bean sauce into the polenta evenly.
Step 4 Line a rectangular cake pan with parchment or smear a spoon of neutral oil on the base and the sides of the pan. Tip the polenta and bean mixture into it, flattening the top and covering it neatly with a parchment sheet. Let it cool overnight at room temperature or refrigerate for 3 hours. The polenta will be set into a cake. Flip this over on a wooden board and cut into 5cm (2 in) squares.
Step 5 In a medium frying pan, heat some neutral oil over medium-high heat and pan fry the polenta pieces until golden and crisp on the outside. Drain on a kitchen paper and continue until all the pieces are done. Serve warm, with drops of traditional balsamic vinegar.
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