Lambrusco grapes are best known for the sparkling red wines of Emilia-Romagna, but they also help make one of the region’s most prized specialities: traditional balsamic vinegar.
Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale DOP is glossy, dark and remarkably concentrated. A few drops bring together sweetness and acidity with layers of aroma. It can be enjoyed on its own or paired with Parmigiano Reggiano, pumpkin-filled pasta or even creamy gelato.
The vinegar has deep roots in the region’s food culture. Modena’s vinegar was valued for its aroma in Roman times and later became a prestigious gift among European nobility. Though its popularity surged in the 1990s, traditional balsamic has been made and treasured for generations.
How traditional DOP balsamic vinegar is made
Traditional balsamic vinegar from Modena and Reggio Emilia has just one ingredient: cooked grape must. The juice is heated to at least 80°C and aged for a minimum of 12 years. The grapes are local varieties, most often Lambrusco or Trebbiano.
Production traditionally takes place in the attics of family homes. The cooked grape must ages in a series of at least five wooden barrels, usually in different sizes and sometimes made from different woods, including oak, ash, chestnut, mulberry, acacia, juniper and cherry. The wood can influence the vinegar’s flavour.
The barrels are topped up once a year, with each one replenished from the next in the series. The largest receives vinegar from a “mother barrel”, where natural acetobacter helps turn the fermented grape must into vinegar.
After at least 12 years—or 25 years for the extravecchio category—a sample from the smallest barrel is assessed by the relevant consortium. Approved vinegar is sold in a designated bottle with an official seal. Modena’s bottle has a rectangular base and rounded core, while Reggio Emilia’s is tulip-shaped.
Traditional balsamic is expensive and intensely concentrated, so bottles are fitted with a pourer designed to release just a drop at a time. Some families begin a barrel series when a child is born, creating an inheritance for the next generation.
How IGP balsamic differs
Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP is a different, generally younger and more acidic product. Despite its name, it can be made in both Modena and Reggio Emilia. It is a blend of wine vinegar and cooked grape must, and caramel may be added for colour. It is aged in a single wooden container for at least 60 days; a five-year Riserva category has also been introduced.
Places to explore balsamic vinegar in and around Modena
- La Consorteria 1966: In central Modena, this tasting venue offers comparative and blind tastings of vinegars from different producers.
- Acetaia di Canossa: At the Venturini Baldini estate, southwest of Modena, visitors can sample traditional Reggio Emilia balsamic made with estate-grown Lambrusco grapes, alongside the estate’s wines. The property also has a restaurant and hotel.
- Acetaia di Giorgio: This family-run producer near central Modena has made traditional balsamic since 1860. Its vinegar is produced from estate-grown Lambrusco Sorbara grapes, including versions aged in cherry and juniper wood.
- Acetaia Pedroni: Located in the countryside east of Modena, this family producer has made traditional balsamic for more than 160 years, using Trebbiano di Spagna grapes. Visits can include a meal featuring homemade pasta and gelato with balsamic vinegar, as well as the family’s Lambrusco wines.