Traditional Balsamic Vinegar
from the heart of the Modena’s hills.
The grapes used for Traditional Balsamic Vinegar must be local, grown and harvested in Modena area and registered on the DOC list.
We can use white grapes such as Trebbiano, Trebbiano of Spain and the Castelvetro's grapes. Alternatively you can choose black grapes, like Lambrusco and Ancellotta.
In our vineyards we cultivate Lambrusco, Trebbiano and Trebbiano "di Spagna" grapes.
In particular those latter are the most fragrant and sweet and allow us to obtain a product of excellent quality.
From Harvest to Must
The Harvest’s time is one of the most challenging periods of the year for us but it's also the moment to reap the fruits of our hard work.
After the harvest, the bunches are separated from the graspi and the grapes are put under pressure in the presses to obtain the raw Must. This is then poured into large open cisterns, positioned inside a cooking chamber. Here begins the “ Cooking process” that leads the Must to shrink and thicken, increasing the concentration of sugars and acids.
A slow and controlled phase that lasts almost 16-18 hours, helping the fermentation process and releasing all the aromas and typical flavors of our Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena.
At this point we have to filter the still hot Must, in order to eliminate all the small waste of the grape and obtaining a clear and sweet liquid.
This operation in done in the traditional way, using fabrics and mesh fabric “shirts”, that allow an optimal filtration.
The cooked and filtered Must can be used in two ways: can be transferred into hermetically sealed tanks to keep it cool until use or moved into large barrels used for fermentation.
This is where the acetification process begins, with patience and attention, giving us a high quality Traditional Balsamic Vinegar.
Maturation in cask: our drums of vinegar
Ferrari's Vinegar Farm has more than 500 barrels divided by batteries that are used for the production of Traditional BalsamicVinegar.
Each barrel has variable capacities, from 100 to 10 liters, and it’s made with selected woods in order to transmit some specifics characteristics to the Traditional Balsamic Vinegar.
Chestnut rich in tannins gives vinegar its typical dark and intense color.
The mulberry tree, thanks to its porosity, speeds up its concentration.
Juniper gives vinegar its resinous essence.
Cherry sweetens the flavor making it softer for the palate.
The Oak, precious wood for the vinegar already mature, gives a distinctive vanilla scent.
Everyone contributes to enrich and exalt our Traditional Balsamic Vinegar, making it a unique product.
Every year, between November and April, we refill each battery.
This process invigorates the Vinegar, which is reduced by about 10% every year due to evaporation and transudation caused by the wood. It’s a process that must be carried out with the utmost care and by expert hands, to make sure that each vinegar’s withdrawal and transfer are done correctly.
According to the specifications vinegar must age at least 12 years in battery in order to be denominated Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena “AFFINATO”.
But in order to get the “black gold”, the real reasure of Modena, we need to wait more than 25 years.
At the end of this long process we finally obtain the“ EXTRAVECCHIO” Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena.
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