Balsamic Vinegar Tour and Tasting in Emilia-Romagna

"This is for sure a unique experience in every sense. Never had I imagined that I would be drinking balsamic vinegar on a spoon. We arrived at Il Borgio del Balsamico by car since it’s the easiest and fastest way to get there. Cristina, one of the owners of the business greeted us at the entrance of the property. The house was amazing and looked exactly like one of those boutique ancient Italian villas. The garden was really nice too, with roses exotic flowers, and even fruit trees everywhere. With Cristina as our guide, we toured the house where her family actually lives in. She showed us the offices from where they run the business. But the last floor was the real jewel of the house. It is this floor where the family keeps the balsamic vinegar stored in wooden barrels for around 15 years before it goes to the market. Cristina’s family has been in this business for over 70 years and their brand is one of the leading ones when it comes to high end balsamic vinegar. The process of making balsamic vinegar is really interesting and captivating since the vinegar can remain stored for up to 50 years before it is ready to be sold. As with wine, the longer the vinegar spends in the wooden barrels, the higher the quality. After a thorough explanation of the production process, including its history and many interesting details, we went downstairs for the tasting. Cristina made us try some of the lighter options first and left the best award winner balsamic for the end. We tried five different vinegars and I can say that each one of them tasted completely different. Cristina also explained us the variety of uses you can give to each of the options. The experience itself was amazing and unique, definitely one of a kind. The perfect way to immerse yourself in the Italian culture and it’s flavours! "