Modena: prestige guided tour and tasting of superb Balsamic Vinegar (English)

At the gates of the city of Modena stands Acetaia Marchi, a family-run business focused on producing Balsamic Vinegar and promoting the culture surrounding this excellence product. It was 1910 when the ancestors of the Marchi family began keeping barrels of Black Gold in their attic: even back then, such a precious product was universally considered to be of great value. Over time, the specialization grew until Maurizio and later Massimiliano, the current owners, decided to start exporting their Balsamic Vinegar worldwide. Initially a producer of only Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena DOP, in the mid-2000s, the family began aging Balsamic Vinegar of Modena IGP and Condiments as well.

In the vineyards, only native grape varieties are grown, deeply rooted in the traditions of the Modena and Reggio Emilia provinces. Surrounding the estate, you will find rows of both white grapes, like Trebbiano Modenese, and red grapes, such as Lambrusco di Sorbara, Lambrusco Salamino, Ancellotta, and Lambrusco Maestri. The grapes are harvested, gently pressed, and then the must obtained is cooked in open-air boilers.

The tour continues by guiding guests through one of the aging rooms for Balsamic Vinegar of Modena IGP. The most widely known of Balsamic Vinegars is made from two ingredients: cooked must and wine vinegar, which are skillfully blended and then aged in wooden barrels. The guided tour will also provide some basic knowledge on how to distinguish an artisanal Balsamic Vinegar of Modena IGP from an industrial one. Under the wooden roof, hundreds of barrels of varying capacities are stored, in which the King of Balsamic Vinegars must age for at least 12 or even 25 years.

The tasting includes a wide variety of products from the company’s catalog: in addition to highlighting the taste differences, this phase also delves into explaining possible culinary pairings in great detail. The experience is completed with a small company shop, where guests can purchase Balsamic Vinegars and other traditional Modenese products at very favorable prices.