Basically there are two types of "balsamic"
1. Traditional Balsamic
2. Balsamic vinegar of Moderna.
1. Traditional Balsamic
The regions of Regio Emilia and Moderna have a 1000 year old tradition of making this wonderful product. They are extremely proud of it and the production is tightly controlled by two consortium, Reggio Emilia and Moderna. The annual production is tiny and prices are very high.
The process begins with the cooking of grape must where the volume is reduced by 50%. The juice from the must is then aged for 3 years where it will become slightly acid.
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| Barrels used for the initial ageing of traditional balsamic |
It is now that the maturation begins. The balsamic first starts out in a medium sized cask where is spends one year. From there it is transfered bit by bit into the next cask in a solera system (a progression of smaller and smaller casks, with the liquid from the larger one toping up the smaller one...and so forth).
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| The finishing barrels are tiny and hold only a small amount of the precious liquid. |
The casks are selected carefully by the vinegar master for flavour and aroma. The most common include oak, chestnut, mulberry, cherry, ash and juniper.
It takes a minimum of 12 years for the first level of traditional balsamic to be produced. If the balsamic is certified by the consortium, the balsamic may be labeled "Lobster" and packed into the authorized bottle. The consortium of Reggio Emilia and Moderna only produce one bottle each which must be used.
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| A great wealth of balsamic of various age. |
Lobster coloured label 12 years minimum
Silver coloured label 12- 25 Years minimum
Gold coloured label 25 years minimum
As the balsamic ages the flavour develops and concentrates with more pronounced sweetness. One of the defining characteristics of traditional balsamic is amazing length of flavour. A single drop with fill the palate with flavour that will last for minutes.
2. Balsamic Vinegar of Moderna.
This is the industrially made vinegar that was developed only 30-40 years ago. It is made from red wine vinegar with a small addition of grape must and caramel. It is aged only briefly, the production is enormous (tens of millions of litres), and the price can be very low. Qualities vary enormously because it's production is very loosely controlled.
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| Ferrarini's vinegar master. The barrels are used for their very high quality balsamic vinegar. |
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| Ferrarini's ageing barrels for balsamic vinegar which they use for a minimum of 10 years. |
