Worth the Wait - Modena & Perugia

The title of this installment refers to both the delay in posting this final segment of Ron & Tom's adventures in and around Bologna as well as to the third perfect food we discovered in the Emilia Romagna trifecta.

Waiting for the gates of the estate to open...

So, what goes with parmigiano reggiano and parma prosciutto - well, aceto balsamico (traditional balsamic vinegar) of course ! 

We arrived at Villa San Donnino, an estate in the Modena area just outside Bologna, to see how balsamic is made.  Like many folks, we were not aware that the "Balsamic Vinegar of Modena" that we had bought in the grocery stores back home wasn't the real deal.  By local Italian standards the balsamic that we had been buying (and enjoying!) is a convenient short cut to what is reverentially referred to here as the Tradizionale variety. 

Traditional Balsamic is made only from white grapes that are aged in wooden casks for a minimum of 12 years.  To be precise, the aging process for a particular batch is done in a series of 5 wooden casks, each one made from a different wood (to impart a distinctive taste) and each cask slightly smaller than the previous cask.  Over the 12 year period, the liquid from the first and largest cask is slowly added to the next largest cask where it ages some more before being slowly added to the next largest cask - and so on and so on.  By the end of 12 years, it has aged and condensed sufficiently to be called Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale. 


In the cool, dry attic of an old stone house traditional
balsamic ages for 12 years.

Each year, a little bit of each cask's contents is transferred
into the next largest cask to continue the transformation.

We were able to sample some different varities from the owner of the San Donnino estate (including 25 year old aged balsamic) to understand why the Italians are so adament about the distinction between 'regular' balsamic that most people buy in supermarkets and this sweet, syrupy treat.  I can attest that it's nothing like any balsamic I've had before.  To be certain, this isn't something you'd put on a salad.  It's took thick and expensive to be used that way.  It's meant to be used sparingly on cheese or even ice cream (yes, we tried it that way and it's quite possibly better than any chocolate topping you've ever had). 

"Max, Max, we have guests !"



Almost every wall and surface
had artwork of some kind.

The owner then invited us to see the main house where he and his wife lived to see some of the artwork and furniture that had been part of the estate for generations.  The house had been occupied by the Nazis during WW2, but they fortunately left everything intact.  It felt like walking into a museum (or for you movie fans, like walking into Norma Desmond's house in Sunset Boulevard).  Fascinating yet creepy at the same time.  It was hard imagining someone living here, it was so big and weirdly opulent.    After our short tour, we headed back to our hotel in Bologna.

Psst, can you believe someone actually
lives here.

The following day, while driving back to Rome, we decided to stop in Perugia for lunch.  My only reference points for Perugia were 1) the Perugina chocolates that I remember my great aunt giving us at Christmas when I was a little boy and 2) the more recent news reports of the American student Amanda Knox who was accused of murdering her roommate and the lengthy trial that ensued.

The Perugia we discovered that day was a wonderous hilltop town filled with amazing views of the surrounding Umbrian countryside.  There's a main square with a fountain, of course, and tons of twisting little alley-ways - each one more picturesque than the last.  Perugia is the capital city of the Umbria region.  It's a university town, so it feels very lively with lots of young people around.  It practically oozes charm.  We had such a great time during our few hours wandering there that we've made reservations to come back to explore the town and the surrounding area in greater depth in the coming weeks before coming home for Christmas.  So, you can look forward to a more detailed blog about this lovely place in the coming weeks.  As with all the beautiful places we've been fortunate enough to visit here in the past 9 months, I'm sure it will be worth the wait !