Il Balsamico di Modena

IGP & Traditional DOP

In Modena, balsamic vinegar is far more than a culinary product.
It is the most beloved and deeply felt expression of local tradition, cherished by families for centuries.

It represents an ancient, profound culture of time, patience, and care — a story we wish to share with you today, while waiting to welcome you in person and let you experience it fully at our acetaia.

Before continuing, one essential clarification is needed.
Under Italian law, two different balsamic vinegars exist.
They share similar names but have very different histories, recipes, aging processes, and production methods.

Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP

The balsamic vinegar most people know — and likely the one that first introduced you to Modena — is Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP.

It represents a powerful industrial sector: every year, over 120 million liters of Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP are produced and distributed worldwide. Chances are, a bottle has reached your kitchen as well.

Its recipe includes at least two ingredients:

cooked or concentrated grape must
wine vinegar

The minimum aging period is 60 days.
While specific grape varieties are required, the grapes do not have to come from the province of Modena.
The IGP certification requires that at least one production phase takes place in Modena or Reggio Emilia; bottling may occur elsewhere.

It is an excellent everyday product and has played a major role in making Modena and its territory famous around the world.

But it is not the only balsamic vinegar of Modena.

Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena DOP

The balsamic vinegar treasured by Modenese families — passed down through generations and gifted only on special occasions — is a completely different product.

Its name is Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena DOP.

Behind the word Traditional and the DOP certification lies an entire world.
These two products are good cousins, but not siblings.

Key differences include:

one single ingredient: cooked grape must
minimum aging of 12 years
aging in small wooden barrels arranged in batteries
grapes grown exclusively in the province of Modena

Production takes place in attics, not cellars, allowing seasonal temperature changes to shape the aging process naturally.

There is also a lesser-known fact:
Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena DOP can only be sold in a single, official 100 ml glass bottle, identical for all producers, designed by renowned Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro.

The battery: the heart of tradition

Technically, a battery is a series of at least five barrels of decreasing size, made from different types of wood.

But its true meaning goes far beyond a technical definition.

For centuries, the battery represented a daughter’s dowry.
At the birth of a baby girl, families would begin a battery that she would one day carry with her — a symbolic heritage made of time, care, and love.

This is where the deepest difference between the two balsamic worlds becomes clear.

Business and anti-business

While Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP is, rightly so, a powerful global business,
Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena DOP is, by nature, anti-business.

It was born from love, not profit.
For generations, it was produced solely for family use.
Only later did some producers begin selling it, often as a secondary activity.

This was also true for Daniele, Sofia’s father, an engineer by profession, who cultivated Traditional Balsamic Vinegar as a passion.

It was Sofia who chose to turn this ancient tradition into her life’s work — a conscious, counter-current decision rooted in family history and deep respect for time.

This is how Acetaia Malagoli Daniele was born.

Today

Today, Traditional Balsamic Vinegar is sold, but above all it remains an emotional and cultural heritage.
A vessel of memories, gestures, and hopes.

Every choice made by Acetaia Malagoli Daniele aims to protect and share the most authentic essence of this tradition.

No shortcuts.
No artificial constructions.

Just time.
Just care.
Just love.