Guided tour of the vinegar cellar: a journey through the tradition of Balsamic Vinegar
Balsamic Vinegar of Modena is a real treasure that is jealously guarded as a symbol of the quality guaranteed by Made in Italy. It harks back to an ancient tradition, bringing its results to the tables of millions of people around the world. The guided tour of the vinegar cellar is undoubtedly an extraordinary opportunity to get closer to this incredible world and learn more about that fantastic bottle that sits proudly on our tables and gives everything a unique flavour.
At Acetaia Marchi, for example, we are experts in creating guided tours of our facility, offering a unique experience that will take you on a journey of taste. If you are curious to learn more about the care and passion that go into the preparation of Modena's ‘black gold’ and want to know how to take part in this experience, then you are in the right place: keep reading this in-depth article!
The extraordinary world of vinegar production
To truly understand the beating heart of Modena, you need to delve into its most typical traditions: what could be more typical of this area than the so-called ‘Black Gold of Modena’? Given the success of the tours, the vinegar cellars in the area have organised fantastic guided tours that allow you to enter not only the places where balsamic vinegar is made, but also the mindset and atmosphere that guides those working in the sector.
This is an unmissable opportunity for lovers of this product, but also for those who are new to this incredible world: thanks to the guidance of expert vinegar makers, you can enjoy an exciting sensory journey through the preparation of balsamic vinegar, with all the natural and genuine ingredients that are used.
A visit to the vinegar cellar: a sensory journey
This type of tour obviously begins where the first spark of what will become the final product is born: we are referring, of course, to the vineyards through which a guided tour will wind its way in the open air, in direct contact with the plants. It is important to remember that balsamic vinegar is made from specific selected vineyards: Lambrusco, Ancellotta, Trebbiano, Sauvignon, Sgavetta, Berzemino and Occhio di Gatta.
After a relaxing stroll through these grounds and once you have learned all about the vineyards, the guide will take you to the heart of the business: the actual vinegar cellar. Here you will find yourself in a wonderful world of warm colours, intense aromas and fascinating creaking sounds. A vinegar cellar can hold several hundred barrels of vinegar, which are undergoing various stages of production: fermentation, maturation and/or ageing.
Each of these stages is crucial and essential to achieving the finished product and its extraordinary quality. Each stage has its own barrel, made from fine wood and of different sizes, which adds quality to the balsamic vinegar, enriching its flavour. Nothing happens by chance in a vinegar cellar: every detail is taken care of with the utmost attention, in order to add all the characteristics that make the product so highly prized.
Tasting Modena Balsamic Vinegar
From the moment the grapes are pressed, every step of the process is carefully monitored, including cooking the must, fermentation, maturation, refinement and ageing. The guided tour of the vinegar cellar will prove extremely interesting and full of new information, but the most exciting part comes when you think you have understood the entire production process. In fact, the organised tours include a final stage that will remain etched in the minds of all visitors: the tasting of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena.
Having followed its production step by step, combined with following all the instructions suggested by the guide for tasting this product, will lead visitors to pay different attention to the precious aromas, colours and flavours found in every drop of balsamic vinegar. All the nuances contained in this precious product will be appreciated by every visitor.
A piece of tradition delivered directly to your home
Each vinegar producer usually has a shop where you can buy your favourite bottles of Aceto Balsamico di Modena. At Acetaia Marchi, we guarantee the best products, available at our shop: here, thanks to the support and guidance of our passionate master vinegar makers, you can get advice on the product best suited to your palate. Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena D.O.P., Balsamic Vinegar of Modena I.G.P., Balsamic Condiments and Jams: here you will find a careful and attentive selection of the best products, prepared strictly according to traditional recipes.
In addition, for special occasions, we create elegant gift boxes, perfect for lovers of Modena's Black Gold, as well as excellent food and wine favours, the best of the best, all with the guarantee of product_cat=confezioni-regalo">elegant gift boxes, perfect for lovers of Modena's Black Gold, as well as excellent food and wine favours, the best in all of Emilia-Romagna and perfect for celebrating weddings, christenings or communions without sacrificing the iconic taste of balsamic vinegar. If you are unable to visit us in person, no problem: thanks to our e-commerce site, you can order a top-quality product that will be delivered directly to your door, allowing you to enjoy a piece of our wonderful region in the comfort of your own home.
Acetaia Marchi, the best vinegar cellar in Modena
So, if you are wondering what to see in Modena, the answer is a tour of a vinegar factory. Trust Acetaia Marchi to take you on guided tours (available in several languages, such as English, French, Spanish and Polish) of our wonderful facility, which are a true journey into the taste of tradition. With this tasting itinerary, you will be accompanied through all the stages of production, thanks to the expert guidance of our passionate master vinegar makers, who will tell you about the long tradition of this typical product of the region.
The long life cycle of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PDO. and Aceto Balsamico di Modena I.G.P. begins in our vineyards and ends with a tasting of our traditional products of the highest quality. It will be a unique experience that will leave you with unforgettable memories. So what are you waiting for? Contact us now to book your exclusive visit to the vinegar cellar. Don't miss out!
Acetaia Marchi confirms its presence at Acetaie Aperte 2022
Get out your calendar and mark this date: Sunday 25 September 2022. This is in fact the day chosen for Acetaie Aperte 2022, which will see more than 40 producers engaged in guided tours, tastings and many other very interesting projects, aimed at promoting and raising awareness of the excellence of Modena's black gold. We are not talking about oil, of course, but about something even more precious: the event is organised by the two Consortia for the protection of the Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI and the Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PDO, which join forces to make the most of this product, one of the must-haves of our Peninsula, with export peaks as high as 92% of annual production.
Organised visits to the vinegar cellars of Modena
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The production of the Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI and that of the renowned Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PDO is long-standing and has its roots in family traditions and the special characteristics of the Modena lowlands. The vinegar cellars are often in attics, in old farmhouses, in old family villas, all characteristic places and in most cases reserved for insiders. This is why, on the occasion of Acetaie Aperte 2022, everyone is given the opportunity to visit these places steeped in history, where with patience and dedication so many families have been able to obtain a product with unique characteristics and a wide range of flavours and aromas, also given by the type of wood used for barrel ageing.
Acetaia Marchi and its typical products
The Acetaia Marchi will also take part in Acetaie Aperte 2022, renewing its appointment with an event that aims to unite all producers, each with its own characteristics and, of course, its secrets, so as to involve all consumers, both regulars and potential ones, showing them how Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena DOP is produced and why this product is considered so renowned. Acetaia Marchi will be at the event in grand style, with guided tours starting from the vineyard, passing through the vinegar cellar and ending in the tasting room, right next to the shop, which will be open for the entire day. For the day of Acetaie Aperte 2022, a small tasting of typical products is planned: tigelle with cured meats and jams, accompanied by a glass of Lambrusco. Since 1910, Acetaia Marchi has been producing the renowned Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PDO, Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI and, together with them, other by-products such as Saba, balsamic condiments, sauces, compotes and jams. On Sunday 25 September, there will be the opportunity to taste all these products and hear, from the producers themselves, about the characteristics of each one and how best to combine them to enhance their qualities.
Appointment at Acetaie Aperte 2022!
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Acetaie Aperte 2022 has a programme that day after day is enriched with new proposals, which also involve children. On the www.acetaieaperte.com portal, you will find all the constantly updated news, including visits to educational farms, grape harvest demonstrations, the Balsamic Treasure Hunt and much more. For adults there will be lunches in the tavern with tastings of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PDO, walks in the botanical garden with a view of the valleys, contests with selfies in the vinegar cellar, tastings of ancient fruit tarts and much, much more. We look forward to seeing you!
What to do in Modena in a day? A visit to a vinegar cellar with tasting of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
The whole world knows Modena because this Emilian city is closely linked to living well and being happy. How? The Emilian cuisine needs no great introduction and in Modena it reaches unsurpassed heights.
One could also mention a special ambassador of this city who has carried the banner of Modena everywhere in the world: we are talking about the great tenor Luciano Pavarotti.
To encourage a visit to Modena, one could also mention the presence here of the world's most important luxury car factories and its outstanding artistic heritage. Monuments such as the Ghirlandina, the city's landmark tower, Piazza Grande and the cathedral could be enough to entice anyone to a visit.
But Modena also offers something more, a typical local product that is known all over the world and that here, in its land of origin, can be better known: the Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PDO. So, why not organise a Tasting of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena to make the day tastier?
Discovering a centuries-old tradition
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Discovering what lies behind the centuries-old Modenese tradition of Balsamic Vinegar is a unique and unforgettable experience that can only come true in this territory.
An acetaia is an incredible place where you can totally immerse yourself in the art, handed down from generation to generation, of making the best Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PDO.
We are talking about that condiment, made from cooked grape must, which has become synonymous with absolute quality all over the world. Balsamic Vinegar is made only from grapes from seven types of vineyards: Lambrusco, Ancellotta, Trebbiano, Sauvignon, Sgavetta, Berzemino, Occhio di Gatta.
The guided tour of the vinegar cellar
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The tours of Acetaia Marchi start in the vineyards, with a wonderful walk through nature that will put every visitor in a good mood. Then you enter the vinegar cellar where you will be confronted with hundreds of certified casks for maturation and ageing.
Every stage of the process will be presented to the visitor by the competent staff in every aspect, from the pressing of the grapes, to the cooking of the must and the refining or ageing in wooden barrels.
The casks are stored in 'batteries', i.e. a group of at least three casks that follow the three main phases: fermentation, maturation and ageing. The three casks in the battery have different capacities, from the largest to the smallest, and with different essences that will give different qualities to the vinegar, both from the visual and olfactory and taste point of view.
Thanks to the guides' instructions, it will be possible to understand the many nuances that are encapsulated in this product, in purity, which is called by locals 'The Black Gold of Modena'.
At the end of the visit, it will be possible to visit the shop, where various types of Modena vinegar and products derived from it can be purchased. Also during the Traditional Visit, there is of course no lack of a fair presence of typical local products that will make your stay in the vinegar cellar particularly rich from the point of view of good foodies.
Balsamic Vinegar of Modena tasting and aperitif at Acetaia Marchi
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The real highlight of the visit to the vinegar cellar is of course the moment of tasting Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, which turns into an unforgettable experience for all visitors.
The tasting allows guests to taste not only our vinegar, but also other typical Emilian products. Our guests can enjoy a good glass of Lambrusco and find themselves in front of a tasty chopping board with local cured meats, high quality cheeses, onions with vinegar, jams and much more.
Instead of the classic tasting, it is also possible to choose the option of a guided tour with concluding aperitif. In this case we offer our guests a well-prepared aperitif. This option is ideal for those who want to spend more time inside our vinegar cellar, close to the vineyards and surrounded by nature and the intoxicating scent of grapes and balsamic vinegar. So which type of guided tour do you prefer?
If you are visiting Modena and would like to experience a tasting of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PDO directly in the vinegar cellar, on our website you can book your guided tour choosing your preferred day, time and language. We are waiting for you!
