News

2023:

- On 25/06/2023, this year's Palio di San Giovanni was held to select the best traditional balsamic vinegar from Modena from 2023. The competition takes place every year at the end of June in the small town of Spilamberto near Modena. This year, over 1600 of the best vinegar producers took part in the Palio. The more than 20,000 samples were tested and evaluated by 284 tasters from the Consorteria dell'Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena Spilamberto. The winner of the 57th Palio is Maurizio Fini with 322.281 points out of a maximum possible 400. A special winner because he is also Grand Master of the Consorteria that organized the event.

2021:

- The production volume of Aceto Balsamico di Modena P.G.I. increased by 11% in 2021 compared to 2020. Sales of the Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale P.D.O also grew by 17% and reached the level of 2019 again. 110,000 certified bottles were produced in 2021 (~11,000 litres) according to Enrico Corsini, president of the consortium.

- According to the press release, the 250 producers involved in the production of the precious Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale hold around three million litres of future certified balsamic available in their barrels, which means that the market can continue to grow.

2020:

- According to a report by the Gazzetta Modena, 14 companies are currently being investigated that may not have adhered to the rules for the IGP production guidelines. The supervisory authority ICQRF is active in this case. A result is still pending. According to the newspaper article (in Italian / €), the 14 companies included some heavyweights in the industry, including Acecrem (Cremonini), Carandini, Leonardi and Mussini. Camillo Cremonini confirmed in writing on request that you have nothing to do with the allegations and that the case is currently being dealt with legally.

- The production of Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP is declining , while the production of Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP clearly exceeded the 10,000 liter mark and is thus at a record level. The Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Reggio Emilia DOP stagnates at a constant level of just over 1500 liters per year.

Green: Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP - ISMEA

Blau = Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PDO (ABTM), Organge = Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Reggio Emilia PDO (ABTdiRE) - ISMEA

- The Corona Virus Covi-19 paralyzes public life in Emilia Romagna at the end of February 2020. After numerous infections in the region, an ordinance issued from 24.2. Until March 1st, 2020 for the time being, it is stipulated that all schools, museums and universities must remain closed and public and private gatherings must be avoided. This also applies to the Balsamico Museum in Spilamberto. A meltdown for all tourism in the region. Many smaller vinegar companies make their living from this tourism and the guided tours through their Acetia.

2019:

- The judgment of 04.12.2019 in the "Balsamico" case was made. The ECJ (European Court) followed the final opinion and confirmed that the terms "aceto", "balsamico" and "Aceto Balsamico" generic generic terms are that can not be protected. Only the designations with regional, local reference and the addition "di Modena" are according to the current regulation. This is likely to be a major setback for the Consortio Tutela, which has been defeated here before the ECJ.

- The European Commission has with the Chinese government to an agreement on mutual protection of 100 products of protected origin agreed. Thus, among other things, the "Aceto Balsamico di Modena" now enjoys protection in China. Aceto Balsmaico di Modena was one of 100 product names that were added to the list. In return, for example, the Chinese vinegar with the name " Shanxi Lao Chen Cu ", which is considered the most popular vinegar in China and comes from the Shanxi province in Europe, was placed under protection.

- The Advocate General speaks out against the general protection of the terms "Aceto", "Aceto Baslamico" and "Balsamico" in his recommendation in case C-432/18. The Consorzio Tutela Aceto Balsamico di Modena is suing the ECJ and would like to extend the current protected name "Aceto Balsamico di Modena" to the individual components "Aceto", "Aceto Balsamico" and "Balsamico", so that the use of the name other balsamic vinegar can be extended -Manufacturers can be prohibited. As a rule, the judges follow the opinion of the Advocate General - a final decision is still pending.

- The Consorzio Tutela Aceto Balsamico di Modena in another lawsuit against the unlawful use of the term "balsamic" a dispute before the court in Bologna won. Mariangela Grosoli, chairwoman of the Consorzio Tutela Aceto Balsamico di Modena and co-responsible for the family-owned Acetaia Aceto Balsamico del Duca di Andriano Grosoli, is delighted with the judgment and hopes that the judgment will provide another good basis for the ongoing process at the European Court of Justice in case C. -432/18 forms.

- In June 2019, severe hail damage destroyed up to 25% of the grape harvest. ModenaToday reported.

2018:

- The broadcaster Kabeleins described the problem of how tourists can recognize a real traditional balsamic vinegar or a fake in its documentary " Achtung Ripzocke " on May 22nd. Part of the program was an interview with Davide Lonardi from Acetaia Villa San Donnino. In summary, the program stated that a real balsamic vinegar bears the addition of DOP, is marketed in a special 100ml bottle shape and must have the addition "Tradizionale" on the label.

- The Consorzio di Tutela dell'Aceto Balsamico di Modena has appealed the appeal against the judgment pronounced in 2016 on the use of the term "balsamic vinegar" on German products, which resulted in German producers being allowed to continue to use the word "balsamic vinegar" on their products. The Karlsruhe Higher Regional Court upheld this complaint in April 2018 (in Italian) and referred the parties to the European Court of Justice. Now the EUGH has to decide in case C-432/18 whether only Italian products can use the name balsamic vinegar.

2017:

- Product novelty from Italy - this year the small Acetaia Villa San Donnino, together with an award-winning Italian master confectioner, brought a panettone with Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP onto the market. The traditional Italian Christmas cake paired with the best balsamic vinegar in the world is available exclusively at Christmas time in the balsamic vinegar shop.

- According to media reports, the free trade agreement with Japan should come into force in 2018 - Products such as Aceto Balsamico and other protected products are not endangered by this agreement but benefit from this agreement. These products enjoy the same level of protection in Japan as in the EU.

- Also in the field of food development there is news from the balsamic corner in 2017 - the Acetaia del Terra Tuono presented the first balsamic vinegar to grate this year. Like a piece of Parmesan cheese, can be called the "Ba ll Samic" rub over the pasta or other dishes. The flakes have an intense balsamic taste. Terra del Tuono won an award in the USA for this innovation.

- The editors of "Welt" were invited by the Emilia Romagna Tourist Office to travel to Italy and reported in the article " Alles Essig " about their impressions on site, including in an interview with Acetaia Sereni south of Spilamberto.

- The ruling on the decision of the Higher Regional Court Karlsruhe on the use of the phrase " Aceto Balsamico " from November has now been published. The court justified its decision on the basis that the "Aceto Balsamico di Modena" was protected by Regulation (EC) No. 583/2009 and that the scope of protection should only extend to the compound name. The complete, very detailed explanation can be found here.

- The WDR has dedicated a program to vinegar. In " Der Vorkoster " TV chef Björn Freitag explains, among other things, the Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale.

- In April 2017, the Lucerne newspaper from Switzerland reported on dubious forms of investment, among other things, we reported on an investment in which the investor should invest his money in balsamic vinegar, which is stored for a long period in a tunnel at a height of 3000m so should gain in value.

2016:

- According to Kulinaria, the Karlsruhe Regional Court overturns the decision of the Mannheim Regional Court and decides that the term balsamic vinegar is not a protected name for Italian vinegars. The Consorzio Tutela Aceto Balsamico di Modena sued for the omission of the use of the name Balsamico and prevailed in the first instance at the LG Mannheim.

- As reported in the Italian press, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his family tasted the noble Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale in the Acetaia Villa Donnino in Modena.

- In August, Arte will broadcast a TV documentary on the production and history of the ABTM.

- The Vinegraal project was launched on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Consorteria dell'Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale. Interested parties can take part in this project from April 9th, 2016 at www.vinegraal.com and thereby secure, for example, one of 500 limited traditional extravechhio from the reserves of the Consorteria. A special highlight is the closure of the newly designed bottles, which allows you to sign your dishes with a real traditional item, like a pen!

- In January, the knowledge magazine Gallileo (pro7) shows a lot of interesting facts about the Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale together with the Acetaia Pedroni.

2015

- The Association of Italian Ice Cream Manufacturers (Uniteis), which has around 1000 manufacturers with over 2000 shops in Germany, selected the variety strawberry with balsamic vinegar or in Italian GELATO ALLA FAGOLA CON ACETO BALSAMICO as the ice cream of the 2015 season. More about it here. New publication of the book: "The secrets of the balsamic vinegar of Modena" by Kastner-Verlag , 2015.

2011

- The Stiftung Warentest has tested balsamic vinegars again. Of the 22 tested, 9 were rated "poor" and only 6 were rated "good". Most frequent complaint: the acid does not come from grapes, but from sugar beets. Residues such as lead and zinc, musty smells, additives such as caramel or caramel.

2009

- The Aceto Balsamico di Modena has been added to the list of foods with a protected geographical name by the EU Commission. More on this in the balsamic information.

My tip: do not buy an ABT if it is offered particularly cheaply. The risk that it is an inferior ABT is then quite high. But of course there is also a normal price - around 50 EUR for the 12-year-old and 100 EUR for the over 25-year-old, unfortunately no guarantee that it is a high-quality Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale.

Links to associations and further information about
the Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale

Consorzio Produttori ABTM

Consorzio Produttori ABT di Reggio Emilia

confraternitaacetobalsamico.it

Organismo Controllo Qualità Produzioni Regolamentate - Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Reggio Emilia DOP

Association of Balsamigico-Verk.

Association of ABT Tasters in Reggio Emilia At the end of 2002 a museum for the traditional balsamic vinegar was opened in Spilamberto. Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale Museum in Spilamberto Additives in food Here you can find out what is allowed or prescribed and what is hidden behind all the E's.