How Balsamic Vinegar is made
There is no such thing as just one Balsamic Vinegar. Our production strictly follows specifications and we add all our passion to the products we offer our customers every day
There are different denominations protected and regulated and there is a style that comes from the sensitivity of the producer.
The Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Reggio Emilia PDO comes from a single ingredient: the Reggio Emilia grape must, white and red (from Trebbiano and Lambrusco grapes).
The must after cooking undergoes an initial alcoholic fermentation and then a acetic fermentation (caused by the insertion of Acetobacteria) before finding their way into the small casks of different sizes (from 2/3 litres up to 10/15 litres) and different woods.
I six woods indicated in the Reggio Emilia PDO specifications are Oak, Chestnut, Cherry Juniper, Ash and Acacia.
Each of them will release unforgettable aromas and flavours over time.
But the magic of the traditional is the complexity that comes from reinforcements: a small percentage that each year moves from the largest to the smallest barrel to restore the evaporation caused by the very high temperatures in the attics where the black gold ages.
Based on the results of the tasting, the Traditional Balsamic is classified in three categories: Gold, Silver and Lobster.
Gold, Silver and Lobster - These are the colours of the three stamps applied to the typical small bottles of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Reggio Emilia PDO, identifying three different qualities of product obtained with different ageing periods, but always longer than 12 years. This is a choice made by the Consortium of Producers of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Reggio Emilia, since its establishment in 1986, for transparency towards consumers. In 2000, the European Community granted the prestigious recognition with which included Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Reggio Emilia among the Protected Designation of Origin products, laid down a regulation stipulating that:
- all producers must be certified by a third-party Certification Body, identified among those recognised by the E.C. itself and authorised by the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies. This body controls all stages of the production chain and issues the certification certificate only after ascertaining strict compliance with the production specifications;
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- all products must have the density and acidity values indicated in the product specification measured by ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratories through specific analyses; the relevant certificates are sent to the Certification Body which verifies conformity;
- The suitability and qualitative characteristics of the products to be bottled, anonymised by the Certifying Body that organises each tasting, are established during the organoleptic examination by a commission of five master tasters who, using a special form, express their judgement by assigning numerical values in accordance with the sensations they identify in the product;
- products judged suitable must be bottled in the Province of Reggio Emilia exclusively in the appropriate containers of the shape and capacity envisaged in the production specifications;
- all bottling activities must take place in the presence of the Certifying Body, which is responsible for checking the filling of the ampoules, their corking and sealing with sealing wax and, at the end of the operations, for delivering them to the producer equipped with stickers bearing the progressive numbering, which allows product traceability, and the colour corresponding to the bottled quality.
Another name among the best known in the world is Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI.
You can find Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI at all prices, which is precisely why it is essential to pay close attention and read labels well.
It is important to remember that it is forbidden to declare ageing on the label for a very simple reason, it cannot be checked. The only attribute that can be used is the word 'Aged' to define certified products that have been at least 3 years in barrel.
This detail is very important. Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI also consists of two ingredients: cooked must and wine vinegar.
These two ingredients are left to age in barriques for more than three years depending on the product to be obtained.
The acidity of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena is always 6%.
The last denomination produced at Borgo of Balsamic is Condiment.
The Condiment, aged in oak barrels for several years is produced with must and wine vinegar and maintains an acidity of less than 6%.
In our range we produce white condiments with added fruit juices in addition to grape juice.
Seasonings can also have different ageing and different organoleptic characteristics depending on the different uses in the kitchen.
the barrel beater
bottling
the small vat
the barrel beater
bottling
the small vat
Certifications
