Traditions in Balsamic Vinegar Making

We finally are in the Acetaia, in a beautiful countryside villa right outside Modena, in the heart of the Italian Food Valley.Let me introduce you Mr. Mario Gambigliani Zoccoli, a former lawyer who decided to dedicate his life to continue his family’s century-old tradition in Traditional Balsamic Vinegar production. Mario Gambigliani, a partner of Academia Barilla in artisan production of traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, will tell us everything about the very long traditional process of Balsamic Vinegar making.

After a brief introduction on his family tradition in Traditional Balsamic production, Mario takes us to the rooftop of his family villa outside Modena, where he keeps the gran cru of his production, with barrels of Balsamic Vinegar that have been aging for more than 50 years! But let Mario introduce us to the acetaia, and explain to us why the acetaia is located under the rooftop rather in a basement.

Tomorrow Mario will tell us more details about the production of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar but, since we have been covering the history and tradition of balsamic in Modena in the last two posts, allow me to skip forward in my interview to Mario Galimberti, and let him tell you more stories about the centuries-old ties of balsamic vinegar with the popular cultural traditions of Modena.