Next time you're in Emilia-Romagna, you can visit the Balsamic Vinegar Museum of Spilamberto, Italy.
The Bounty
Authentic Balsamic
SHOP - July 8, 2009
This is the second of our The Bounty series.
There's an old Italian saying: "Who will first start the vinegar will not taste it, but his children and grandchildren will." For centuries the wealthy from the Emilia-Romagna wine region of Italy added a syrupy treasure to dowries and closely guarded its secrets. Each masterpiece was nurtured for a generation or more and consortiums were formed to certify the authenticity of true L'Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale.
This elixir of flavor is made not through fermentation but by boiling sweet white grapes, usually Trebbiano. The tools of balsamic artists are a batteria of wooden casks often hidden in Italian attics. Each is made of a different wood, cherry for sweetness, mulberry for vanilla, juniper for its unique aroma, and chestnut for tannin and color. Aromatic woods sharpen the finish and neutral woods mellow it. Other favorites are oak, ash and acacia.
As the dark, rich liquid slowly evaporates it is moved from larger to smaller casks so that none is more than two-thirds full. True L'Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale must be aged in this time honored way for at least 12 to 25 years.
Unlock the secrets of Italian nobility and use as a finishing touch on meats, poultry, fish, and vegetables. Our favorite is on French vanilla ice cream. Find it at specialty stores, like Williams Sonoma or Zabars, sometimes under lock and key.
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