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balsamico tradizionale

An Attic Full of Acid Never Tasted So Good

by whitney on October 31, 2009



The Medici family not only makes great wine, but fantastic Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Reggio Emilia as well. This is balsamic classified as being made in the traditional method by a consortium in Emilia Romagna (there is also the famous Aceto Balsamico di Modena nearby.)

signage

must to wine to vinegar

I thought I knew a bit about balsamic, but I didn’t really. Not until I could physically see the process. So, this is the breakdown of the process in a sort of “Dummies Guide to Balsamic Making”. Because I am, by no means, an expert:

  1. Take must (freshly pressed grape juice, basically)  from  the winemaking process. In this case, Lambrusco juice. Cook over an open flame for about 24 hours.
  2. Put in the barrels you see above. Wait. Wait some more. Until 1st fermentation occurs, turning the must into wine. This can take up to a year…these barrels are open to oxygen and can’t be temperature controlled.
  3. The “wine” is then moved to a series of smaller barrels up in the attic above, called an acetaia. The barrels, 5 in this case in descending size, can vary in wood type or be the same. The wood in the Medici Ermete acetaia ranged from cherry, oak, juniper, apple to chestnut and a few others. Each wood lending a different quality and aroma and taste.
  4. Wait some more. Now, the waiting gets longer. Acetic oxidation or fermentation must now take place. The liquid is moved from bigger barrels to smaller barrels as the amount of liquid is reduced due to evaporation.
  5. Wait again. For like 12 to 15 years minimum. You might have children in this time, your children may even have children. You get the point. There is balsamic still aging that started before Alberto was born some 45-50 years ago. It is for family consumption only I am told. Damn.
  6. Bottle it. 12 years and up is sold as “tradizionale”. 25 years and up is “extra vecchio.” Medici Ermete makes: Red label 18 years, Silver label 25 years, Gold label 30 years. And  that gold label….it is beyond amazingly good.

little jewel boxes of balsamico

aceto attic

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How Bigger Can Sometimes Be Better

by whitney on October 31, 2009



The Medici Ermete cellar is a masterpiece of modern technology and equipment. It is massive in size and houses huge tanks, millions of bottles for shipping, filtrations systems, an in house laboratory and a bottling and labeling machines bigger than most cellars. They are producing several million bottles a year; a number that I can’t even comprehend after spending most of my time with producers that usually make 30,000-300,000 bottles.

shipments

bottle robot

laboratorium

shiny happy tanks

The Medici family has been producing wine (mainly lambrusco) in Reggio Emilia for over 100 years. This is a family business through and through and one with a lot of history. Alberto Medici, the fourth generation, is now “running the show.”  We left the bright, clean, modern world behind and ventured out to the Tenuta Rampata vinyeard a few kilometers away which grows their prized (see note below) lambrusco salamino varietal. This property has a completely different presence and energy than the cellar. Alberto unlocked the door to a veritable museum of winemaking for me. Alberto’s father has preserved the tools that remain from his family’s property and  has also become quite the collector of artifacts from auctions and estate sales.

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