Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PDO
Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI

Full line of Aged Balsamic
and Gourmet Products

Modena is the province Compagnia Del Montale has always been identified with to create high quality products: the Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) and the Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI (Protected Geographical Indication).
To preserve the values of the past, to implement and improve them while  still caring for our current needs, is and will always be an important company quality. The final result is a marvellous merging of quality and refinement for the customers full satisfaction. In this way, our products have always satisfied the most demanding customers with an innate passion for good things.

Balsamic is versatile,
but “Touchy”

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Explore the Taste

stands out for its fragrant, penetrating and persistent perfume of pleasant
and harmonious acidity, it has a well-balanced sweet and sour flavour.

History

The history of balsamic vinegar dates back to the times of the Duchy of Este, but even in Roman times it was customary to cook the must transforming it into an edible condiment. Cicerone, Pliny and Virgil cited it in their writings whilst Columella described a particular reaction by the must which, after cooking, tended to ferment and acetify. Maybe it was precisely in the coincidence of a must cooked and forgotten, after a long process of fermentation and ageing, that the unmistakable characteristics of the Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena PDO were discovered.

From sunny hills, from the best grapes in the Modena area. Then, it’s time, passion, care, attention and research. This is how the Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PDO Compagnia Del Montale is created. Before reaching the market, the Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena ages in small barrels made up of different types of wood, then it is evaluated by the Commission of certified tasters. After passing a strict test, it is bottled and marked as PDO. The tasters express their evaluation through scores, necessary to classify the Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena as Refined and aged at least 12 years or Very old and aged at least 25 years; these are the only two acknowledged types. Its container must be unique as for shape and capacity: Giugiaro bottle.

- Matchings:

Its rich flavour and taste make it able to satisfy the most variable, curious and difficult matchings. Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena PDO is stored in its packaging at a room temperature. Thanks to its versatility, this product can be used in the kitchen for the preparation of numerous recipes, from the simplest to the most elaborate. It comes into its own when used with fresh and steamed vegetables, with risotto, with meat and fish dishes but is excellent also enjoyed with flakes of Parmigiano Reggiano, on ice cream and on fruit and is perfect with strawberries. Usually it is the last element in the sequence of ingredients used in the gastronomic preparation. On raw vegetables, it is best to add the vinegar after the salt but before the oil to ensure that it does not slide off.

- Ingredients:

Grapes must cooked on direct fire in open pots, from typical grapes of the Modena area, time!

- Container

Giugiaro Bottle 100 ml   3.5 fl oz
Serve at 18 °C
Min. acidity: 4.5 g/100 ml

Raw Material and Variety

Aspect and Taste

Production Area

Only in Modena

Aged at least 25 years

Aged at least 12 years

Tipical set of barrels for Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, every years we move from barrel to barrel the aged balsamic. (travasi e rincalzi)

- Origins

The practice of cooking the must of grapes can be traced back to the ancient Romans: the so-called sapum was used both as a medicinal product and in the kitchen as a sweetener and condiment.

- Link with Modena

Starting in the 11th century, the production of this very particular vinegar was linked with Modena: over time it would become synonymous of the culture and history of a territory that is unique for its pedoclimatic characteristics and its human knowledge and talent.

- Finally Balsamic

Towards the end of the 13th century, the art of vinegar production was cultivated at the Este Court in Modena. But it was only 1747,  that the adjective balsamic made its appearance for the first time, in the registers of the cellars of the Dukes of Este: it was recorded as half balsamic and refined balsamic, distinctions which correspond to the current Balsamic Vinegar of Modena (Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP)  e Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PDO.

- International success and great dynasties

A few decades later – in 1800 – Balsamic Vinegar of Modena (Aceto Balsamico di Modena) began being appreciated and known abroad: it was presented in the most important exhibition events of the time, from Florence to Bruxelles. And it was again in the 19th century that the first dynasties of producers established themselves, some of whom today are among the associates of the Protection Consortium. It was in this period that the production processes were codified.

- Legislative recognition

At the regulatory level, on March 25, 1933 the Minister of Agriculture Giacomo Acerbo acknowledged for the first time, with an official act, the “age-long and characteristic industry of the Balsamic Vinegar in the Modena area”. Thirty years later, in 1965, specifications were published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale (Official Gazette) relating to the “Composition characteristics and preparation modalities of the Balsamic Vinegar of Modena”. In 1994, the producers took steps to improve the production specifications and to protect the correct use of the Balsamic Vinegar of Modena (Aceto Balsamico di Modena) designation in trade and consumption.

- Seal of the EU

Another milestone in the history of this exclusive and distinctive product, which has become world ambassador for fine Italian eating, was European recognition: in 2009, after a long procedure, the European Commission inserted the Balsamic Vinegar of Modena (Aceto Balsamico di Modena) designation in the register of PGI productions.

The Balsamic Vinegar of Modena (Aceto Balsamico di Modena) production area, according to tradition and in compliance with current regulations, corresponds to the provinces of Modena and Reggio Emilia. In this area there is an abundance of grapes with just the right concentration of sugars and acidity.

- Flavours and knowledge

- Optimal climatic conditions

- Unique of its kind in the world

Precisely because it is strictly linked to the knowledge, traditions and skills of local populations, the unique Balsamic Vinegar of Modena (Aceto Balsamico di Modena) is considered a symbol of the culture and history of Modena. This is decreed by the Official Journal of the European Union .

- Vinegar on the table

As symbol of the gastronomic quality of the territory of the two Emilia Romagna provinces, Balsamic Vinegar of Modena (Aceto Balsamico di Modena) is an integral part of the local culinary tradition. As well as being a versatile and intriguing ingredient of countless regional recipes, it is also the main feature of festivals and events dedicated to it.

- Matching

Except for special occasions when Compagnia Del Montale ’s Balsamic Vinegar of Modena IGP is a delicious gift, every day is a good day for Balsamic! Outstanding for enriching all sorts of foods: meat or fish, appetizers or fruits, vegetables or desserts. When you drizzle Compagnia Del Montale’s Balsamic Vinegar of Modena IGP, there is no room for errors! It is a wonderful seasoning for all culinary cultures because it is the most natural vinegar and its refinement stands in its simplicity. It is the best travel mate for discovering different gastronomies. Like traditional foods of the land from which it originates, try it on Japanese sushi and sashimi, Chinese dumplings, Thai culinary pleasures or Moroccan couscous. Compagnia Del Montale’s Balsamic Vinegar of Modena IGP is synonym of style, seduction, elegance, refinement even for your kitchen thanks to its exceptional and unique flavor, expression of creativity, excitement, happiness.

- storage

For a proper storage, keep Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI in a glass bottle and carefully close it after each use. In addition to this, keep it away from substances that release extremely strong smell.