The Fair of San GiovanniIl Palio, a traditional event held every year since 1967Palio and Superpalio
Since 1967, the Consorteria dell’Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Spilamberto has organised the Palio di San Giovanni every year, a unique competition dedicated to vinegars produced according to the centuries-old Modenese tradition, carefully preserved in the attics of passionate producers.
Those wishing to take part must submit a sample of their vinegar by the end of February. From that moment, a long and rigorous tasting process begins: for months, the Consorteria’s Master Tasters carefully assess each sample to determine the best vinegar of the year.
The winner is announced during the patron saint’s celebrations of Spilamberto, at a dedicated ceremony, and receives a highly coveted and prestigious award.
The Superpalio is a special edition of the Palio di San Giovanni, announced on particular celebratory occasions.
Over the years, several editions have taken place: the “Rolando Simonini” Superpalio (1990), dedicated to the founder of the Consorteria, who passed away in 1985; as well as the 20th anniversary (1986), 30th anniversary (1996), and 50th anniversary (2016) editions.
A new edition is scheduled for autumn 2026, marking the 60th anniversary of the Consorteria.
All finalist samples from previous editions of the Palio di San Giovanni are eligible to compete in the Superpalio, creating a contest of the highest quality.
Mast Còt, cooking the must in the town square
“It is autumn… the woman sits at the loom, weaving and singing, or she cooks the must, the sweet grape juice, over the fire, carefully skimming the foam from the boiling liquid in the cauldron with a small branch.”
Thus Virgil, in the 1st century BC, describes in the Georgics life in a rural household in the Emilia region.
Even today, the magic of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar begins with these ancient gestures: the slow cooking of the must, time, and care. In Spilamberto, this tradition comes to life every year on the first weekend of October, when the whole community gathers to renew a ritual that is at once memory, identity, and celebration.
Open Vinegar Attics
On the last Sunday of September, guided tours and tastings await you among batterie, small barrels, casks, and vats.
The Museum takes part in Acetaie Aperte, an initiative promoted by the Consorzio Tutela Aceto Balsamico di Modena and the Consorzio Tutela Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena, with the aim of spreading the culture of this precious product with its centuries-old history.
We look forward to welcoming you to an authentic balsamic experience.
MDnet
MDnet is an acronym of Mediterranean Diet – When Brand Meets People
There is a growing demand for food quality (nutritional, taste, culture) and an equally growing demand for quality of life linked to the experiences of the territories and traditions that are the basis of agrifood excellence. These questions can be answered with the enhancement of the territorial brand of the Mediterranean Diet.
In the spring of 2021, the Traditional Balsamic Museum signed the Med Diet Declaration and joined the MDnet project, an acronym for Mediterranean Diet – When Brand Meets People. The distinctive features of the territory influence lifestyles and nutritional models. The MD.net project is aimed at fostering economic growth and social inclusion in the territory, with a focus on the main themes of the Mediterranean Diet.
The promotion of the Mediterranean Diet – using all available tools and technologies – constitutes an indispensable tool for communities, both to disseminate information on the relationship between health and food, food safety, production techniques, control and guarantee systems, and to create higher quality tourism, linked to the emotional paths of food and to a more complex yet more realistic conception of the Mediterranean Diet as a lifestyle.
