The barrels

"In those barrels a resting world was hiding, waiting to be reawaken "

Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PDO 


We store more than 3 thousand barrels that house the Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PDO inside them. 

The barrels for ageing Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena must be made of different woods and placed in battery in descending order, from the largest to the smallest.

For Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PDO, aged 12 or 25 years, only certain types of wood may be used to make the barrels for ageing: chestnut, cherry, juniper, mulberry, oak, acacia.

Each type of wood gives the vinegar a different essence over the years: 

  • Chestnut, thanks to the tannins it is loaded with, it dyes the vinegar darkly
  • The Cherry wood fills its 'host' with soft, delicate and, at the same time, persistent aromas typical of the fruit itself
  • Juniper has a strong aromatic essence that penetrates deep into the product giving it a very special, very tasty fragrance
  • Mulberry has always been used in Modena's vinegar factories for its extreme malleability and resistance over time
  • Oak, characteristic for its hardness and resistance to weathering, it guarantees excellent ageing
  • Acacia, a strong wood with a reddish-yellow colour and thin, compact fibre, highly resistant to moisture

Each barrel has its own history, its own origin: we keep one that dates back as far as the Napoleonic era. 
And it is a family tradition to dedicate to each 'heir' a set of barrels that is inscribed with the name of the person to whom it is dedicated and bequeathed. 

By the way: did you know this?
The tradition (which still exists today) is that at the birth of each heir a new battery is planted, which, 25 years later, will become each bride's dowry for her wedding.      

 
 

Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI 

The refinement of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI is carried out using must from grapes allowed by the production regulations and aged wine vinegar from our own production. It takes place inside vats and barriques made by artisan coopers using fine Italian oak wood.
Oak wood is ideal for ageing this product: thanks to its characteristics of hardness and resistance it guarantees excellent ageing of the Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI. 

 

Dark dressings

In addition to Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PDO and Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI we also produce a series of Dark Dressings that mature and improve inside oak barrels, each with a capacity of 220 litres. Inside these small wooden barrels, our Condiments, made from cooked must of internally produced Trebbiano and Lambrusco grapes, age for several years until they reach the full-bodiedness that makes them so versatile in cooking. 

 

Wine Vinegar 

Our Barricaded Wine Vinegar is made from noble wines, aged for several years in large wooden barrels, thus guaranteeing a soft, persistent and delicate refinement.