Art and Science

The barrel aging of balsamico is both an art and a science. The vinegar maker’s choice of the wooden barrels, the time of transfer and the mixing of the vinegar from one barrel to another as the flavor mellows and deepens requires an artisan’s hand.

The choreographed decanting and replenishing from barrel to barrel by the vinegar maker directs the natural process of fermentation. Changing of the seasons and the loss of water through evaporation and transpiration through the wood of the barrels are natural influences on the making of balsamic. During the summer the product evaporates, during the winter the product stays still.

The decanting and mixing within a set of barrels of different ages and concentrations, the changes of the season and the knowledge and skill of the vinegar maker are all part of the art and science of aceto balsamico.