Acetaia Marchi is the fruit of a story with simple and genuine ingredients: family, passion for one’s work, love for the land and craftsmanship handed down from generation to generation.
In Modena, the tradition of Balsamic Vinegar has deep roots, and the Marchi family is privileged to be included in this fascinating chapter.
In 1910 Francesco and Savina began to deal with the first barrels of Balsamic Vinegar. The founders of our company were sharecroppers at the time, that is, they cultivated fields granted to them by a tenant farmer in exchange for part of the harvest.
Thanks to the vineyards on their property, they began to produce Balsamic Vinegar. This gave them greater economic autonomy given the fact that this product has always been popular in trade and sales.
It was thanks to Francesco and Savina that the passion for Balsamic Vinegar entered the Marchi family; a passion then passed on from generation to generation.
The second generation is embodied by Nellusco Marchi who continued to farm as a sharecropper the same fields as his parents. During the difficult years of World War II he was only 19 years old, and when Italy decided to intervene in the conflict he was called to military service. As luck would have it, he was never called to participate in large-scale military actions and so it was that he returned home safely.
After returning from the war, he met Valentina Cioni, the woman who would become his wife. With the earnings he earned as a soldier, he was able to buy back the land he and his family had cultivated up to that point.
A tenacious and capable man, he made his business prosper and increased the number of barrels the Marchi family kept in the farm barn near Modena. As the years went by, Nellusco specialized in the production of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena and enthusiastically joined the Spilamberto Consorteria, established in the late 1960s.
This association began to establish standards on how to produce an excellent balsamic vinegar, so that all producers would follow the same method handed down by tradition. Still active today, it is certainly also thanks to her that in 2000 the institutions recognized the “PDO” designation to our most valuable product.
The passion for vinegar has also been passed on to the third generation of the Marchi family. Maurizio and his wife Irene have helped increase the production of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PDO. In addition to significantly increasing the number of barrels, Mauritius began to add new barrels of different types of wood to the existing batteries with the aim of obtaining a product with increasingly fine and appealing flavors.
He is also credited with the idea, in the 2000s, to expand the business with the production of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI and balsamic condiments.
Today Maurizio works in the company and it is also thanks to his contribution that in 2017 the new production facility immersed in the family vineyards was inaugurated.
In the early 2000s, Massimiliano Marchi embraced the idea of taking over the leadership of theFamily Vinegar Works, at a time of growing demand for Balsamic Vinegar. The company stands out in the market for the organic certification and for offering the private label even for customers with low production volumes.
2017 marks an important turning point with the opening of the new headquarters, strategically located next to the family vineyards. Here Maximilian developed a program of guided tours of vinegar cellars in Modena, recognizing the importance of promoting the the culture of Balsamic and educate consumers about the different products, thus enhancing the superior quality of theArtisanal Balsamic Vinegar.
Prominent among future goals is the ambition to obtain recognition as a educational farm, to expand the range of experiential activities for visitors of all ages in an authentic rural setting.
Today Massimiliano leads the Acetaia’s sales team and, with passion and dedication, passes on to his son Mattia the secrets of the production of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, thus preserving the family tradition for future generations.
Let’s give it time-work in progress!
We are a family united by a deep connection with the land and the agricultural tradition that has been handed down to us. For us, what we produce is not simply a commodity, but a true honor and a sacred duty. We feel a responsibility to carry on, with dedication and respect, the tireless work of those who have gone before us, seeking to honor their memory and to improve the fruit of their labor.
One of our points of pride, the beating heart of our business, is undoubtedly the vineyard. It is here, among the rows of vines that furrow the placid Modenese plain, that our
At the heart of the Balsamic world pulses adeeply artisanal soul and meticulous attention to detail at every stage of production.
Far from standardized industrial processes, the creation of our Balsamic Vinegar is a ritual made up of patience and recipes handed down from generation to generation. It starts with the rigorous selection of native grapes, carefully crushed, whose must is slowly cooked, masterfully concentrating sugars and aromas. Then follows the slow aging in batteries of barrels made of different woods (such as oak, chestnut, cherry, mulberry, juniper), during which each of these essences gives unique nuances to the precious liquid.
Each step is accompanied by a visual, olfactory and taste check, up to the final tasting that decrees its bottling. The checks are directly carried out thanks to the craftsmanship experience of our family members.
There is no simple definition of“making Balsamic Vinegar culture” since multiple aspects make it up:
Sustainability is a fundamental pillar for us; a concrete commitment to preserving the richness of the land and ensuring the vitality of our soil for future generations.
This approach finds application in a variety of ways:
There are no shortcuts to producing good Balsamic Vinegar: time is one of the key ingredients.
Work in the Vinegar Works teaches that only with patience and perseverance can long-term goals be achieved. At the same time, these goals can only be achieved withconstant care and attention, and it is not out of the question to be called upon to continue the work begun by those who have gone before us.
We at Acetaia Marchi are keen to show the long production process of our Balsamic: for this reason, we organize guided tours of the Acetaia available in several languages, including English, French, German, Spanish and Polish. This opportunity gives visitors the chance to experience firsthand the very high quality of our ingredients and to visit the places where it all begins, such as our vineyard.
After a pleasant and relaxing walk outside, we move on to the actual Acetaia, where the production process is kicked off. Visitors, guided by the stories of the master vinegar makers, will be taken on a unique sensory journey through the inimitable aroma and taste of Modena’s Black Gold.
