Le Guide de l'Espresso: Content sponsors by Giuseppe Giusti
(an acknowledgment of the Acena.it editorial staff of absolute respect for the company's history in Italian gastronomy)

THE BLACK GOLD OF MODENA
Strada Quattro Ville, 155, 41123 Modena (MO) - Italy Tel. 059.840135
Balsamic Vinegar of Modena is not just a simple condiment, but a precious ingredient capable of revolutionizing a dish by enhancing the taste of the ingredients that compose it. It is synonymous with quality, culture and is part of the history of an area with an immense food and wine heritage: Emilia. Here, in 1605, the centuries-old history - of the "Great Balsamic Vinegar Deposit of Giuseppe Giusti" began, today the pious ancient vinegar factory of Modena. In this place, according to the ancient knowledge of the past, what is traditionally called "the black gold of Modena" is still produced today.

The iconic Giusti Historical Collection, five balsamic vinegars of Modena igp of different ages.

HISTORY
More than 4 centuries have passed since the ancestors of the Giusti family started the first batteries of barrels in the attics of their home in Via Farini. But it was in 1863 that Giuseppe Giusti fixed in writing what are still considered the golden rules for obtaining a "Perfect Balsamic Vinegar": choice of grapes, quality of the barrels and, fundamentally, time. The "codified" Balsamic Vinegar thus emerges from the secrets of the attics of the buildings, to establish itself as the highest representative of the gastronomic tradition - of Modena. During the Belle Epoque the value of the Giusti balsamic vinegars also affirmed itself beyond national borders, with the participation in the Universal Expositions of the time: the 14 gold medals - which still characterize the label - and the emblem from that time on of "Suppliers of the Royal House of Savoy", granted by King Vittorio Emanuele III.

The master vinegar maker carries out the Rincalzi and Travasi in the historic Giusti Acetaia.

THE GIUSTI MUSEUM AND THE SHOP IN PIAZZA GRANDE
Inside the Acetaia, in the manor house, there is the Giusti Museum: a thematic itinerary of 10 rooms that is a real journey into the millenary history of Balsamic Vinegar, visited every day by enthusiasts from all over the world. Among the most precious relics are the centuries-old barrels, some still productive, such as the "A3" barrel with which Giuseppe Giusti won, at the Italian exhibition of 1861, an award for a 90-year-old balsamic vinegar. The village hosts, in addition to the Giusti Museum and the ancient vinegar factories, a space used for tasting all the Giusti excellences. In a timeless atmosphere that recalls the Museum, the story of the history of Acetaia Giusti continues in the Bottega di Piazza Grande: the first direct store recently opened in the historic center of Modena.

La Bottega di Piazza Grande, the first boutique dedicated to Giusti Balsamic Vinegar in the historic center of Modena.

THE ANCIENT ACETAIA AND ITS TREASURES
The 600 historic barrels of the 1700s and 1800s still in business, lovingly guarded by the different generations of the family, are the heart of the Acetaia from which the long journey of refining balsamic vinegar begins. The Historical Collection is the most iconic of Acetaia Giusti: five Balsamic Vinegars of Modena of different recipes and aging created over the years and now classified with the number of medals achieved in the Universal Expositions of the late nineteenth century. Every year a very precious quantity of "very old" balsamic vinegar is taken from the historic barrels: one part enriches the Historical Collection, while another is destined for Great Aging. In this category of reserves, it Traditional is the maximum expression of the entire world of Balsamic Vinegars, and obtained from only grape must cooked and aged with the ancient system of "Rincalzi e Travasi" in barrels of different woods: the Aged for a minimum of 12 years, while the Extra-Old for a minimum of 25. There are no limits to the aging that a balsamic vinegar can have. Finally, the Giusti Riserva collection is produced every year in extremely limited quantities and extracted from some precious batteries of barrels from the 1700s.

Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena Dop.