Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Reggio Emilia (Silver Seal) - San Giacomo

Production
The Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Reggio Emilia is obtained simply by fermenting the sugar and acid of the cooked must. However, the secret of Reggiano Balsamic lies in its ageing process, which takes place for a minimum of 18 years for this Silver Seal bottle. 

While the production of common vinegar is fermented from wine, the esteemed Reggio Emilia ABT is fermented using cooked must. The production takes place in wooden casks arranged in sets. The three phases of vinegar production are fermentation, oxidation and aging. Casks mostly made of oak, chestnut, mulberry, cherry, ash, and wormwood are used, each one contributing a particular aroma to the vinegar.

Taste & Usage
Historical Origins of Reggio Emilia
With the Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Reggio Emilia (recognised in 1987 by a ministerial decree) you enter the highest gastronomic tradition where an almost alchemist wisdom has created a tradition passed from generation to generation. The monk Donizone, who lived at the same time of Countess Matilde, remembered a "laudatum acetum" in the XII century that was given as a gift by Canossa to the Emperor inside a silver bottle. The documented history of Reggio’s balsamic vinegar dates back to the Renaissance period, starting from the creation of the initially noble then bourgeoisie tradition of holding a family vinegar deposit where to age the boiled must of local grapes.