Lezione del giorno (lesson of the day)

Balsamico tasting in Modena: Chef Brandon and Matt's guide, Marco, picked them up at 10:15 and headed to the tasting. The first picture is a crest of the familia and the writing on the wood translates to "you will eat what we serve!" The second picture is of Juespi Pedroni, 3rd generation, giving Brandon and Matt a talk about how important the tradition of making balsamico is to their family and how it will be passed down from generation to generation. The machine he is standing next to cooks the musk of the Trebbiano grape getting it ready for the second process. Balsamico is usually made from white grapes called trebbiano or lambrusco. After all the steps are fineto the juice become brown. Typically there are four steps in the process of creating the balsamico. First comes the harvest of the grapes, then the cooking of the musk. The aging process is next. It must be 15 years to be authentica! There are different types of wood used to give each a unique flavor and character. The last process is the extraction or extravecchio to bottle and sell. The bottles are very important tradizione di famigla (family tradition). Thanks Chef's!