Balsamic Vinegar from Modena is made from the must of the typical grapes grown on the hills around Modena (Lambrusco Trebbiano and Ancellotta etc.), with the addition of strong wine vinegar. It has the appearance of a dark-coloured fragrant liquid - sweet and sour combined together, with an excellent taste and a delicious fragrance. The method of production used by Acetaia La Bonissima also addresses the traditions of the past, and thanks to their careful prescriptions these traditions give rise to particularly fine balsamic vinegars. These are then matured in barrels and casks made of fine woods.
Tradition and a great love of their passion are the values which allow the vinegar makers to manage the complex procedures involved with certainty. Bottling carried out by hand, the use of top quality natural corks and the application of a seal using hot sealing-wax all characterise the finest bottles, and also bear witness to the company's traditional style.
This precious vinegar - which is unique world-wide - is the result of a slow processing of the boiled must. Its high sugar concentration initially gives rise to alcoholic fermentation and then to the acetic fermentation which transforms the alcohol into vinegar. In order for this to take place, “batteries” of small barrels are needed to give the finished product its characteristic perfumes and aromas. These barrels are usually made of different woods (oak, chestnut, cherrywood, juniper, ashwood and mulberry). They usually comprise a minimum of five barrels of decreasing capacity, from 50 litres to 10 litres. On the top of the barrels is a wide square-shaped opening which favours the oxidation process of the liquid contained in them, which is protected from impurities with a cloth sheet. The batteries are placed in lofts known as acetaie. They have to withstand the intense heat of the summer which results in a lowering of the level of liquid in the barrels through the top openings. So, once a year in the winter the decanting operation has to be carried out. This is done to restore the original level of liquid to the barrels, starting from the smallest barrel and using part of the contents of the slightly larger barrel placed before it in the battery. The process is continued in this way down to the last barrel, to which the boiled must prepared the previous autumn has to be added. Many years of maturing are needed before the Balsamic Vinegar may be taken. The protection Authority requires a minimum of 12 years' maturing for the type sealed in the Giugiaro bottle with the White Cap, and at least 25 years for that sealed with the Gold Cap. In a battery running at full production, Balsamic Vinegar can generally be taken from the smallest barrel only, in a quantity limited to a maximum of 3 litres, once a year.