MAZZETTI L'ORIGINALE WHITE BALSAMIC CONDIMENT BIANCO SPECIALE 5lt

For more than 30 years, Mazzetti has been one of the world’s leading names in Balsamic Vinegar of Modena -but our story begins much earlier. It all started with Felice. He was a soldier in the First World War, but as peacetime returned, he began working once more as a distiller of fine Italian spirits. He was making a trip to Vignola, Modena, to stock up on the special cherries he used to make his spirits. And it was then, in the house of one of his cherry suppliers, that he first tried Modena’s "Black Gold". At that moment, a family tradition was born. The rest is delicious history. In the generations since, Aceto Balsamico di Modena has become an unalterable part of the Mazzetti family DNA. Felice’s son, Franco, transformed his father’s passion for this bold, complex, elegant creation into a successful business —and Franco’s son, Cesare, followed suit and took their Italian treasure to the world. Now, almost 80 years after Felice’s life-changing maiden sip, we’re as passionate as ever about the dazzling flavors, aromas and the unique character of our Aceto Balsamico di Modena. To this day, every bottle of Mazzetti l'Originale is a tale of the patience, practice, care and craftsmanship that we put into it –from grape to barrel to the heart of your kitchen. Here’s to the next 80 years, and to the sharing of family traditions - from our table to yours. 

The Climate
The summers are hot and the winters are cold —and it’s that great variation in temperature, together with the year round high humidity that comes from being beside the slow- lowing Po river, that helps make our Balsamic vinegar so special. The vinegar ‘rests’ during the chilly winter months and then evaporates and concentrates in the intense summer heat, helping the vinegar to better absorb the complex woody flavours of our barrels.

The Grapes
Only 7 grape varieties can be used to make Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI –Lambrusco, Sangiovese, Trebbiano, Albana, Ancellotta, Fortana and Montuni– and that’s all we use. The Italian climate does the rest. 

The Harvest
Harvest time comes in late summer. The grapes are picked by hand then gently pressed together to create a sugar-rich juice. Known as grape must, this sweet liquid is without doubt our most important ingredient. We cook and concentrate the must over a very long period until it’s reduced to a thick and flavorful syrup, which we then blend with our own premium wine vinegar.

The Craft
After nature’s work is done, our job starts in earnest. Our blended recipes are all closely guarded family secrets, but every balsamic vinegar is different. It’s a patient process, but this is where our craftsmanship shines through. With hand-crafted wooden barrels the blending begins. 

The Wait
After the blending process is complete, the law decrees that the liquid has to rest patiently in these wooden barrels, for up to 3 years in order to be named Aceto Balsamico di Modena PGI. Our invecchiato Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI is aged even longer, spending more than 3 years in smaller barrels —and the most patiently-aged variety of all is our prestigious Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena PDO, which matures for 12 or 25 years in barrels made from woods such as Oak, Chestnut, and Juniper.

The Bottle
Good things come to those who wait, and now that the patient maturation period is over, the contents of our barrels must be officially certified as PGI or PDO compliant. Once that is complete, it’s on to the bottling and to the start of many continent-crossing journeys to kitchens in every corner of the world. 

The History of Aceto Balsamico di Modena
From the Roman poet Virgil to King Henry III and Napoleon –in the centuries since its creation, some of history’s most iconic figures have encountered Modena’s distinctive, delicious and unforgettable creation. 

Ancient Rome
In Book I of the Georgics, the poet Virgil writes of a woman who "cooks the must, the sweet juice, on the fire" –the same process by which we craft our vinegar today. 

11th-century Rome
In 1046, Henry III was en route to Rome to be crowned emperor of the Holy Roman Empire when he asked to try a "much praised vinegar" he’d heard a lot about –and it’s said that after a sip, he gave it his regal approval. 

16th-century Modena
There are precise vinegar-making instructions that date back to 1508 and the court of the Duke of Modena –who is said to have used the famous vinegar to soothe the pangs of childbirth. Versatile stuff, indeed. 

The Little General arrives
In 1796, Napoleon Bonaparte arrived in Modena with his famous army for company. As he seized land across the province, Balsamic Vinegar of Modena became a rare and sought- after commodity –and a real sign of social importance. 

A new millennium, a new certification
Supported by an association of vinegar enthusiasts, producers and connoisseurs known as Consorteria dell’Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena, a Consortium of producers was formed to apply for the sought after European registration and our famous Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena finally achieved the PDO status in the year 2000 –confirming and protecting the provenance, heritage and culture of Modena’s iconic Black Gold. 

Aceto Balsamico di Modena gains PGI status
With the future of Tradizionale PDO secured, a separate group is founded with the aim of securing similar recognition for Aceto Balsamico di Modena, which continues to grow in popularity around the world. And in 2009, the Consorzio Aceto Balsamico di Modena fulfils that aim —by successfully being awarded a prestigious EU PGI certification.