When my partner and I visited Modena, Italy, taking a balsamic vinegar tour at a factory was something that was on the top of our list. When we visited Puglia, we had a great and eye-opening olive oil tour, we we wanted to repeat a similar experience. We were not dissapointed!
After doing some research, we opted for visiting Acetaia Giuseppe Giusti, which is in the outskirts of Modena, and is actually the oldest balsamic vinegar producer in the world.
Before going to the Acetaia Giusti, we visited the Albinelli Market in Modena. There, we already had a simple balsamic vinegar tasting at a balsamic stall. We tried vinegars that had been fermented for different amount of times, which was interesting as it was the first time we were heard about it.
But it was in our balsamic vinegar tour in the acetaia (which translated as vinegar cellar) that we learned all the secrets of the balsamic vinegar of Modena.
How to Get to Acetaia Giuseepe Giusti
The balsamic vinegar factory is in the outskirts of Modena and it was very easy to get to by public transport. When we got there we saw that everyone else arrived by private taxi, so of course that also an option.
To get there, we took a bus to Lesignana from the Modena bus station. The ride was just around 12 minutes long. From there, we walked less than 15 minutes in the countryside to get to the factory. Same for the way back. The buses don’t run that often though, maybe just once every hour. We just checked the times on Google maps and they were very accurate.
Otherwise, there’s a you can take a train to Quatro Ville, which is just 7 minutes away. From there, it’s a 17-minute walk. That’s actually an option that I see while writing this post, but I don’t think that train was running when I visited in June though, so make sure to check beforehand.
The Balsamic Vinegar Tour
At the factory, they offer tours in English and in Italian. Make sure to enquire through their official website the times of their tours in English in case you don’t speak Italian, and to book. The tours are free.
Once we arrived, we joined a group of around 17 other people and started the tour. Our balsamic vinegar tour in Modena at Acetaia Giusti consisted of three parts.
First, we visited the museum, where out guide explained us the history of balsamic vinegar and the stages of its production.
Then, we visited the production building, where we were able to see the ageing vinegar inside their barrels.
At last, we had the tasting, which was the best part!
Some of what we learned in the museum and history of balsamic vinegar in Modena
The making of balsamic vinegar in Modena is a a centuries-old tradition. Balsamic is made out of cooked grape must, which is left to ferment for many years inside wooden barrels before it becomes vinegar. A good one takes 15-25 years to ferment.
The acetaia that we visited was founded by Giuseppe Giusti, in the 16th century, who was also a butcher and sold the balsamic vinegar he had created in his shop along with other products. The family emblem depicts two pigs, in remembrance of their ancestors.
Other families started to produce balsamic vinegar as well. They used to make balsamic vinegars and store it in their attics. They would start a new batch every time a baby was born. So by the time he or she would get married, they would receive that batch as their wedding gift.
While the tradition expanded in all the Modena area, this Giusti family continued working in their tradition and refining it.
They were the first ones to export it out of Modena to sell it and to take it to international fairs as well, where they won several recongnitions. Their fame and reputation became so wide that they even were the official supplier of the royal family at same point.
The Production Building
The next part of the balsamic vinegar tour was in the production building.
There you will get to see how the balsamic ages in their barrels. The best barrels are the old ones, so they use barrels that are actually centuries old! Whenever a barrel starts cracking, they build another barrel around it.
You will also notice how the barrels are all black. This is because they slowly absorb the color of the vinegar, so after several decades or a century, they become black.
You will also see that the barrels all have an opening covered by a small cloth. This is because some oxygen is needed for the production of the vinegar.
The Tasting
Then, the best part of the balsamic vinegar of Modena tour arrived: the tasting. We tasted the different kinds of vinegar, from 25 year-old balsamic vinegars, to truffle-flavored ones! In total, we sampled 8 different ones. Each one had actually a very distinctive flavor.
After that, if you want, you can buy whatever you liked at their shop.
Tips for Buying Balsamic Vinegar in Modena
If you visit Modena, there are good chances that you will want to take some balsamic vinegar home with you. But how to choose a good one, and what are the differences between them?
What we learned at our balsamic vinegar tour, is that the first thing you need to know is that there are three kinds of balsamic vinegar in Modena. You have the DOP (the original and best one), the IGP (it’s also good but can vary greatly), and the flavored ones (can be delicious).
The DOP balsamic vinegar
The DOP is what you can strictly call a balsamic vinegar. It follow specific production rules which every producer has to follow. After a minimum of 12 years, a vinegar can be considered finished.
Then, it is sent to the balsamic vinegar consorcium of Modena, which carries out the required tests to certify it is veridic. At the consorcium, they bottle all of them equally, in small (and expensive) bottles.
They use the same kind of bottles, since there shouldn’t be any difference between the vinegars of the different makers. That means you can’t actually differentiate which producer made which vinegar.
This is a thick vinegar and can be used on top of some dishes, like risotto, or on top of cheese or ice cream.
The IGP balsamic vinegar
The other kind of balsamic vinegar is the IGP, which follows much more flexible rules. For example, it can age for as little as a few months.
You can recognize the IGP because it has some medals depicted in their labels. The more medals it has, the more complex its taste is.
This balsamic can have many uses, such as for salads, or even as a replacement for soy sauce.
The flavored balsamic vinegar
Balsamic vinegar can also come with fun and interesting flavors. For example, Acetaia Giusti makes them with raspberry, truffle, and fig flavors! The truffle one can go great with eggs, while the fruity ones can be good top of desserts.
My Review of this Balsamic Vinegar Tour in Modena
We were very happy with this tour. The explanations were good and our guide was happy to answer all the questions people had.
Also, at the tasting, we were surprised that we got to taste the 25-year old balsamic vinegar, which is actually a very expensive one! We thought we would just get the 5-year one, but we got to taste all the different ones.
At the shop, they sold all the vinegars that we had tasted. The prices were very reasonable.
So, if you are looking for a balsamic vinegar tour in your trip to Italy when you visit Modena, this one is one of the best options.
Are you looking for more attractions and tours in Modena? Take a look at this post about the best things to do in Modena, where I list some of my favourite ones.
