Modena Balsamic Vinegar 5 Liter

Balsamic vinegar of Modena is a variety of balsamic vinegar and a PGI condiment from Italy. It is produced according to various recipes. The PGI production regulations leaves plenty of leeway, allowing the use of grape must (even if it is not from the provinces of Modena and Reggio Emilia) in percentages between 20 and 90% and wine vinegar between 10 and 80%. The use of caramel is allowed, up to 2%. Reading the tag can provide useful information on the ingredients used and the processing methods. Withdrawal and refilling, as used in making Traditional Balsamic Vinegar are not used; the ingredients, once mixed, must be kept in wood containers for a duration of at least 60 days. If the product is kept there for 3 years or more it is labeled "invecchiato" (aged). The Balsamic vinegar of Modena gained the PGI label on 3 July 2009.
The requirements for the much more expensive PDO Traditional Balsamic Vinegar are different and more restrictive; it must contain only grape must, and has to be aged for at least 12 years. But the story of Balsamic Vinegar starts much earlier in 1100 in the little city of Modena, when Henry III, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, was given a “very perfect vinegar” by Bonifacio, Marquis of Tuscany.