Day Ten Bologna Food Tour part two.

Next! 

After the cheese factory tour, we vanned over to a balsamic vinegar plant. The look was reminiscent of a winery. Their vineyard stretched through several yards. Not only is it an organic facility but also all natural, meaning they don't even water their grapes. Everything is harvested by the hands of several family members.


Some of the vineyards at the balsamic plant

This part of the tour began with breakfast! We sat at the table and enjoyed lambrusco, 12- and 18- month aged cheese from the morning factory, mortadella sandwiches, green bean and cheese sandwiches, and cafe. Oh, we also had sweet pastries. 

Then we received a fascinating education about the very expensive hobby of balsamic wine production. Each batch has its own battery of seven or more casks. Every winter, because of evaporation, vinegar from barrel #2 is decanted to #1, from #3 to #2, and so on. To be DOP the vinegar must be aged at least seven years, meaning the decanting process happens at least seven times. At this facility, it is aged 12 and 25 years. 


Note the diminishing sizes of barrels to identify the separate batteries

Also, it is tradition in vinegar-producing families to start a new battery with the birth of each child. We met the owner's two year old daughter, Giorgia, and here you see one of the barrels in her battery.


They spoke with great pride about the tradition of making vinegar and perpetuating the batteries. Their own home has 300 barrels. The oldest batteries they have inherited include a set started in 1900 and another in the 1860s. Because the vinegar eventually eats away at the wood, a cooper was hired to build new barrels around the originals.


This battery is older than Italy


1860

Next we had a taste of IGP vinegar, which has less strict regulations, then we tried both 12 and 25 year DOP traditional balsamic vinegar of Modena. There was a noticeable difference in flavor and consistency of each. And at the shop, a noticeable difference in price.

We also tried saba, a product made of vinegar and quince, served over ricotta that was made that morning at the cheese factory. Oh yes, there was more house-made lambrusco! 


Saba on ricotta


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