Spilamberto Traditional Balsamic Museum
Traditional Balsamic Vinegar has earned a name throughout the world as an ambassador of our land and culture.
Thanks to the impact it has on the public, the Museum represents the gateway to the world of Balsamic Vinegar. The museum rooms teach visitors about the technical elements and objects linked to vinegar production, as well as immersing them in the charm of the tastes and aromas of this highly unique product.
First and foremost, this is the result of the passion, hard work and knowhow of the men and women who founded and nurtured the Consorteria dell’Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale based in Spilamberto, and who, together with the municipality of Spilamberto over the last half century, have progressively built up its current success.
The commitment of these figures, aided by the qualitative and quantitative development of a number of connoisseurs, has achieved prestigious goals, as demonstrated by the birth of the Traditional Balsamic Vinegar Museum on 24 November 2002.
Inside the Museum, visitors may view an introductory video on the history of Balsamic Vinegar and its organoleptic characteristics with scenes illustrating the key stages of production.
You are then immersed in the balsamic fragrances as you walk through the various rooms of the Museum. Among these, the evocative room reproducing the inside of a cask is the crowning element of the history, production and the very mystery of Balsamic Vinegar: in five separate sections, this room brings together the tools and key moments of the process that have led us to appreciate the ‘black nectar’ for centuries. From the vineyards to the grape harvest, from the pressing to the cooking of the must, ancient stories and techniques follow on from one another, right up to the construction of the casks and, subsequently, the creation of the vinegar attic, where olfactory and gustatory sensations converge, still today projecting onto the visitor the value of a tradition and the charm of a legend. Tools for treating the vines, grape crushers and copper cauldrons are presented, while a cooper’s workshop is also reproduced, in which traditional woods (such as oak, chestnut, mulberry and juniper), their natural ageing (source of aromas and fragrances for the vinegar) and strictly artisanal processing take on great importance. Finally, we come to the historic five-barrel set said to have belonged to the Fabriani family back in the 19th century, where we can perceive just how, through the possession of a family barrel set, a strong sense of belonging can be determined, spawning the identity of countless generations. They are now joined by a modern barrel set consisting of ten ageing casks, thereby projecting the past into the future through the reality of the present.
In the other rooms, we can admire educational objects and historical and scientific publications that reconstruct the path that Balsamic vinegar has taken over time. Particular testimony is provided by a bottle of ‘Aceto balsamico brusco’ dating back to 1785, along with other no less enchanting exhibits.
The Social Vinegar Attic
Climbing the stairs of Villa Fabriani, towards the attic, where the Social Vinegar Attic of the Consorteria may be found, we are immediately enveloped by the unmistakable balsamic aroma.
The Social Vinegar Attic of the Consorteria, which on the one hand constitutes an integral part of the museum and on the other completes the tour, is the room that houses the casks for the production of Balsamic Vinegar. It is located in the attic as it a place subject to wide temperature variations throughout the day and indeed throughout the seasons: in this way, the heat favours the fermentation process, and the cold that of decanting.
The Vinegar Attic is run by the most experienced Masters of the Consorteria, in strict compliance with the rules and centuries-old tradition. It houses 129 casks divided into 22 sets, with seven ‘mother casks’: a heritage that has been built up over the years thanks to agreements between the Municipality of Spilamberto, coopers and members of the Consorteria. Inside the Social Vinegar Attic, an analysis laboratory is also to be found, which supports its members by checking and verifying the performance of the various barrel sets in terms of sugar content, expressed in Brix and levels of overall acidity.
Who we are – La Consorteria
The history of the Consorteria dell’Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale (Traditional Balsamic Vinegar Consortium), a non-profit cultural association that has been operating in Spilamberto since 1967, is closely linked to the promotion and protection of Balsamic Vinegar and is deeply rooted in the territory of Spilamberto and beyond. Diplomas, insignia, medals and other significant testimonies are also to be found on display here.
Museum Bookstore
At the Museum Bookstore, bottles of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar may be purchased, seasoned and refined for a minimum of 12 years and up to 25 years of ageing.
The products may also be purchased online.