August and September are harvest months: a cathartic moment for the Modena tradition, a great celebration for the countryside
There are red grapes Lambrusco of Modena, and then there are the white grapes, Trebbiano di Spagna and Trebbiano di Modena. Both are grown in the five hectares of vineyards dedicated here to the Tenuta del Cigno, where the cultivation has just begun harvest.
A cathartic moment, according to the Modenese tradition, exciting, a great celebration for the countryside: we gather in the family vineyard to pick by hand, as in the past, one bunch at a time.
The harvest of the grapes takes place when they have reached the right degree of ripenessi.e. when the ratio between the percentage of sugars and that of acids in the berry reaches the optimal value.
“The vineyard collects the influences of life that
he has around him, he absorbs them, he molds them, he makes them his own.
The vineyard as the first step in life”
Red or white? What matters is the quality!
Red or white it doesn't matter, what matters is that it is of quality. both grapes, Lambrusco and Trebbiano, are used to produce the cooked must, unique and essential ingredient ofTraditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena DOP. It is important to specify that the unique profile and organoleptic characteristics of this excellence are determined precisely by the specific use of these types of grapes foreseen by the Balsamic Vinegar production specification.
If the Lambrusco of Modena is one of the most famous and characteristic vines of the Emilia-Romagna area, particularly renowned for the production of Lambrusco wine, theTrebbiano white grape it is a very versatile white grape variety, widely used and appreciated for the high content of acids and sugars which contribute to the fermentation and aging process of the balsamic vinegar.
Cooked must: how it is obtained and what it is used for
The grapes, once harvested, are pressed and the juice obtained, still fresh and not fermented, is slow cooked over direct heat until it shrinks and becomes thick and syrupy. Once the grapes were pressed manually: the so-called "pressers" climbed barefoot into huge tubs full of grapes and pounded them with bare feet. Today it takes place through special machines called "crusher".
During the cooking process of the grape must, thewater contained in the juice evaporates and the sugars and other substances present concentrate: for this reason the must has such a tastesweet and caramel. Depending on the degree of cooking, the cooked must can vary in colour: from light amber, it can take on a dark brown colour.
The cooked must is then subjected to a process of vinegar fermentation and to obtain the Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena DOP comes later aged in barrels of the oldest woods for a long time.
With 90 kilograms of grapes and 25 years of aging it is possible to obtain 8 bottles of 100 ml. of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena DOP.
Our cooked must, certified and of various vintages, can be purchased for aStart a battery of barrels of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena DOP: if you choose to contact our farm, you will be guided by Ermes Malpighi – fourth generation of the historic company Malpighi vinegar factory – in starting your personal battery to obtain a delicious nectar that will become part of your family heritage and that you can use to enrich your culinary preparations with excellence.