Traditional Style Balsamics
Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, IGP (Indicazione Geografica Protteta/Protected Geographic Indication) This certified product must follow strict standards of production; Trebbiano, Lambrusco and/or Sangiovese grapes, traditionally used to produce this product must be grown, harvested and pressed into juice, then cooked and aged in Modena. There is no minimum aging requirement for IGP. The cooked, aged grape must is then blended with high quality aged Italian red wine vinegar – the ratio of cooked, aged grape must to aged Italian red wine vinegar is 35% to 65%. These are then aged together for 90 – 120 days in large wooden vats in Modena. The certified IGP product has a resulting acidity of 6%. Infusions of flavor using natural extract or pureed whole fruit concentrate are offered using this as the base.
Traditional Style Balsamic Condimento is a variation on the IGP product, wherein a more concentrated, cooked, aged grape must is blended with aged Italian red wine vinegar in the same ratio as IGP and then aged together for 90 to 120 days with a resulting acidity of 4% and a slightly higher viscosity than IGP. This is a product which is produced for the northern European and North American markets, who often prefer less acidity than the IGP.
Traditional Style Balsamic Condimento is a variation on the IGP product, wherein a more concentrated, cooked, aged grape must is blended with aged Italian red wine vinegar in the same ratio as IGP and then aged together for 90 to 120 days with a resulting acidity of 4% and a slightly higher viscosity than IGP. This is a product which is produced for the northern European and North American markets, who often prefer less acidity than the IGP.
