Flavors of Northern Italy: Day 6

Thursday 10/7: Traditional Balsamic Vinegar + Mantova + Vegetarian Feast

We had a slightly earlier start today to drive a bit farther to the Acetaia Caselli, where we met Simone Caselli to learn about the history and process of making traditional balsamic vinegar. This truly is an art, a passion, and a calling, given the amount of work and care that is involved in making the final product. A “traditional balsamic vinegar from Modena” is more than just a phrase or a marketing ploy – it truly represents a tradition that begins in a family and is carried on through generations and typically includes starting a new line of vinegar with each birth. This makes a lot of sense once you learn that it takes at least 12 years to produce the traditional vinegar, and the highest quality is at least 25 years old. Not a business to get into if you want a quick ROI!!!

Simone explained the entire process to us, from the grape harvest to the cooking of the grapes in large double boilers to putting the juice in the mother barrels to starting a new line with five barrels of varying shapes that are monitored every day. He also explained how making vinegar is almost the opposite process of making wine, even though the base ingredient may be the same type of grape. For vinegar, the grapes must be cooked to a high temperature in order to boil off the alcohol before the aging process begins. And vinegar barrels are aged on the highest level of a house rather than in the cellar because the changes in temperature are necessary for the aging process. Also, the barrels aren’t fully sealed because air needs to be able to flow in and out of the barrels during the aging.

From a set of five barrels, only the vinegar from the smallest is ever used as the final product, so the amount of grapes and juice produced from the harvest at the beginning only results in about 1/10^th the amount of final product that can be bottled. And then the producer must bring the vinegar before a commission for a tasting and evaluation in order to certify that the vinegar can be deemed traditional and labeled as such. The producer also doesn’t do the bottling, as that part of the process is likewise closely monitored and controlled along with the information printed on the back of the labels and on the wrapping of the bottle neck. Amazing!!!

After learning about this painstaking process and the commitment and passion involved for the family producers, we had a wonderful family-style lunch that was prepared by Elisa, Simone’s spouse, as well as his mom. Elisa and Simone served the various dishes, which provided a taste of typical home-style dishes that were simple and delicious. We enjoyed multiple antipasti to start, and they made a plate just for me that was meat and allium free.

Then we had a lovely light pasta, and I got a main dish of grilled zucchini with egg, cheese, and balsamic vinegar while the rest of the group enjoyed ribs and a salad.

The meal finished with a multi-layered mini-dessert, coffee, and walnut liqueur. Such an amazing experience to be welcomed into their home and treated to this wonderful meal!

The rest of the afternoon was spent in Mantova, where we met up with a local guide, Martzia, for a brief tour of the historic city center and a visit to the Palazzo Ducale to see the famous frescos by Mantegna. Once again, we had to show our vaccination cards and this time also get a temperature check and switch to a “medical” mask for the visit. Luckily, Stefania had a supply of those masks that actually fit me, so it wasn’t uncomfortable. We could only spend five minutes in the room with the frescoes, but that was sufficient time to appreciate the expertise and talent of Mantegna and the hidden stories in the images, which our guide highlighted for us.

After the Palazzao visit, we stopped to see the excavations of the Roman villa in the corner of the piazza and then had some free time to wander around Mantova, so of course I had to climb the clock tower, but Mr. E opted to stroll the streets instead. We both got some great photos of the area but from very different perspectives!

Then back to Borgo for some relaxation time before dinner, which was a fully vegetarian meal this evening with a bowl of mixed fruit for dessert – a nice change from so many of the meat-focused dinners earlier in the week! And interestingly, we still managed to clean our plates and deplete the platters, so even the carnivores in the group appreciated these fresh and light local offerings.