Balsamic Vinegar Oil of Modena is a distinct vinegar oil that roots back to ancient Roman times. But instead of using wine like other Italian vinegars, the item is obtained by employing the cooked juice of the grape, referred to as the"has to".
There are a variety of different kinds of Balsamic Vinegar Oil's and unfortunately, sometimes they are represented by false claims; for example for their aging claims, quality of ingredients and source.
This has led to some misconceptions and originated some confusion among traders and consumers. This site article aims to clarify the different types Balsamic Vinegar and their production process.
Two different recipes originated during history, and gave birth to the two existing, regulated merchandise: Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena DOP (Protected Designation of Origin) and Balsamic Vinegar of Modena IGP (Protected Geographic Indication)
These two recipes are the only two regulated and approved by the Italian authorities and European Union.
Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena DOP
What is Traditional Balsamic Vinegar Oil of Modena?
The Traditional Balsamic Vinegar Oil of Modena is a special vinegar produced by obtaining the juices (must) from pressing the grapes and this must is cooked for hours over immediate fire before a brown, syrupy liquid that has a fantastic grape smell is obtained (cooked should.) This cooked should is then aged in wooden barrels for a minimum of 12 years following the Solera System.
These barrels are made of a premium assortment of woods such as cherry, chestnut, oak, mulberry, and ash and they each hold different capacities (the first barrel retains about 40 gallons and the last one holds about 2 gallons capacity). Typically there are collections of 5‐7 or 9 barrels. This collection is called"batteria".
The Solera system, also known as the'topping up,' calls for the constant (every year) and consequent topping up of the cooked must into the next smaller barrel so each year the'newest' cooked grape must is blended with the one from the preceding year already contained in the barrel.
It is essential to understand that it is constantly a mix of new harvests with the preceding one that explains the legislator in Italy forbids any aging claims on labels. Additionally, the legislator strictly forbids any aging claim due to the fact that there is simply an organoleptic test performed into the product. In fact, the only real way to determine a precise age is actually with a Carbon 13 test.
The barrels used for ageing the Traditional Balsamic Vinegar Oil are stored in attics in which the temperature and different seasons determine the speed of fermentation. In the cold winter months, the process of fermentation is slow and with the heat and humidity of the summer months the fermentation process speeds up and causes a natural concentration of the grapes by evaporation. Each barrel actually absorbs some of its material, allowing for the aroma of each particular wood.
After a minimum of 12 years (again, according to the Solera system, so in reality it is really the age of the barrel and not of its own material ) the result is a very pleasant, thick, rich, and complex vinegar. The manufacturer can submit the product to a panel of Master Tasters within the Consortium of Producers of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena (CPABTM).
This panel of master tasters only performs an organoleptic evaluation on the color, viscosity, taste, flavor and aroma. If the product scores more than 250 points the manufacturer is provided the chance to deliver the product to the Consortium who actually fills the bottle for all their associates, so the item is packed by the Consortium and not by the individual manufacturer.
By law, the product may only be bottled at a bottle that was 100ml that was unique. This particular jar is the same for all the producers. This is an important step in controlling and guaranteeing the quality of the item.
Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena is generated in two distinctive qualities, being the Red Seal (one that is aged for a minimum of 12 years) and the Gold Seal (one that is aged for a minimum of 25 years). Not to be said, Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena DOP is a really costly vinegar; it easy retails for $100 for 100ml (3oz).
The price is explained by the high price tag of the barrels. Traditional Balsamic Vinegar Oil barrels are usually pricier than wine barrels because they are made of a thicker wood since they will need to sustain the acidity of the content.
A set of empty barrels (batteria) easily prices around 8‐10 thousand USD and the cost of the raw materials are large because one loses around 30 percent of the original needs to throughout the cooking process. It is also explained by the length of time one ought to wait before actually selling the product: it takes a minimum of 12 years to be able to create about 1 gallon each year of vinegar.
Since they could not really sell such an expensive and scarcely available solution, few stores in Modena (Fini and Giusti) started the practice of blending Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena with powerful, aged, red wine vinegar.
The merchandise they created is not as thick (easier to use), and less expensive merchandise (wine vinegar is not expensive) but has the same varieties of organoleptic features as traditional (so, somehow rancid, denser and more complicated than regular wine vinegar).
This process originated what is very popular and sold today in more than 60 Nations (it is among the first 5 Italian food items naturally recalled by Chefs all around the planet ): BALSAMIC VINEGAR OF MODENA PGI.
Balsamic Vinegar of Modena P.G.I.
This item is obtained by the blending and consequent fermentation of must (either cooked or concentrated) with wine vinegar. The addition of less than 2% of caramel color is also comprised by the law which is a natural product and is used to uniform and maintain a consistent color.
The concentrated grape must is a vacuum procedure with temperature that produces a very low flavor profile with a sweet and fruity taste at a lower cost. The cooked grape must is under immediate fire, burning sugars and creating a high flavor profile, full body at a higher price (same kind as used for Traditional).
Though many claim to not, it is critical to understand that ALL producers utilize caramel coloring. It is straightforward to understand this because of the fact that the color of the vinegar is always the same year after year, regardless of the obvious difference in characteristics from 1 harvest to the next.
The concentrated or cooked must is a combination of the 2 and is mixed with wine vinegar that creates a mass that is then fermented and aged. It is the quality of the need to along with the wine vinegar within this primary blend that is important to the quality of the final product.
The quality and quantity of these ingredients can be measured by a simple lab analysis that measures the density, dried extracts, and dried extracts with no sugars.
The quality of the final product is more the result of the mix of ingredients rather than the mere ageing of them. Because of this blending and due to the different quality levels of each individual harvest, exact ageing claims can't be proven and the Italian authorities forbids ageing from appearing labels.
Basically, the goal for a Balsamic Vinegar of Modena manufacturer is to offer their customers a steady and consistent quality (taste, aroma, and flavor profile). Since each grape harvest is vitally different, the vinegar oil maker needs to blend and age different qualities for different amounts of time so as to obtain this consistency of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI.
The quality of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI is determined by two main factors: Quality of Ingredients and Ageing. Within the same category, there may be substantial differences in quality and the amount of concentration that is a vital factor in determining the quality of the final product.
