No matter where you travel, there are always going to be things that make the “must do” list and other things that are relegated to the “would have done if we had the time” list. When you visit Italy, make sure an acetaia falls into the first list. We recently traveled to Modena and had the pleasure of touring L’Acetaia di Giorgio, a small producer of “Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena” with Giovanna, the matriarch of the operation. She took us through every step of the balsamic vinegar making process with such detail, sincerity, and passion that it gave us a real sense of propriety for visiting such a place.

A true acetaia, or vinegar producer, is not a factory. In fact, it hardly resembles a business at all. Authentic acetaie are family owned homes with a few tidy rooms in the attic level where the vinegar is produced. They are recognized by the consortium of balsamic vinegar producers as the only TRUE producers of “Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena” and must follow a strict and carefully regulated process to make each batch of balsamic vinegar, the product that is, deservedly, referred to as oro nero (black gold).

Here are a couple highlights:
1) The aceto (vinegar) must be made with lambrusco and trebbiano grapes grown within a certain distance of Modena.
2) The aceto must be aged for at least 12 years to be certified and 25 years to be certified Extra Vecchio (Very Old). If you see a bottle of balsamic older than 25 years, be wary, the consortium that “approves” of balsamic is only 30 years old.
3) Your aceto will have been aged in at least 6 wood barrels of various sizes (perhaps more), some of which may be over 100 years old. These barrels age and condition the aceto to give it it’s distinct taste and character.
4) Each spring, the smallest barrel is refilled with the aceto from the next largest barrel until it is 2/3 full. This process is continued for each barrel and is necessary because each summer the sun’s heat evaporates about 1/3 of the barrel’s contents making what’s left thicker and more concentrated (and more delicious).
5) True balsamic should not be cooked or used in bulk (as on a salad) but should be enjoyed one drop at a time on fresh strawberries, vanilla gelato, parmigiano reggiano cheese slices, and tender cuts of meat such as filet mignon or bistecca fiorentina

To conclude the visit at L’Acetaia di Giorgio we were treated to a tasting of 4 different kinds of balsamic. The first was their 12 year old product, and the next three were 25 year old bottles. The first of the 25 year old variety was their regular product, aged in barrels of various types of wood. The final two were specially aged in either Juniper or Cherry wood barrels giving each a distinct, the first best suited for gamey meats, and the second made for desserts. There really aren’t words to describe the taste of true balsamic vinegar. Aged balsamic is both sweet and bitter, thick and syrupy but light on the palette, and because of the different woods used to age the product, I doubt any two taste exactly the same.

Lambrusco wine is native to the Emilia Romagna area. It’s a sparkling red wine made from Lambrusco grapes. Sparkling red may sound a little strange, but trust me, it’s delicious. A pleasant pink foam forms at the top of your glass as you pour, then quickly dissipates leaving only traces of tiny bubbles hugging the edges. The fizz is just enough to liven and refreshen the wine as it hits your mouth.There are two varieties of Lambrusco: amabile (sweet) and secco (dry). If you’re a little hesitant about the idea of a sparkling red, try the amabile. You wouldn’t even know it’s wine if it weren’t for the bottle and the ruby red color. There’s just enough sweetness to offset the taste of any alcohol, with a mild, juicy flavor. The secco variety is a bit more substantial with a dry but fruity flavor. They say you can drink Lambrusco with anything, so drink up!

Nervi is the eastern-most town within the city limits of Genova. It’s oceanfront walkway above jagged cliffs, picturesque fishing harbor, and large tree filled park have given it the reputation as the most beautiful part of Genova. It’s also one of the more upscale parts of the city with lots of nice hotels and a main street dotted with fancy shops.

We started out our day with a visit to the Gallery of Modern Art, a museum located in a 16th century villa overlooking the park and the sea. One of the four museums of Nervi, it houses a collection of art from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, including some beautiful impressionist style paintings of Liguria.

After the museum we made our way to the fishing harbor, which is the starting point of Passeggiata Anita Garibaldi, the stunning ocean walk. Against our better judgement, we stopped at one of the cafes lining the walkway, and paid far too much for focaccia col formaggio. We made up for it when we came upon a fritelle stand run by National Alpine Association. As a fundraiser, the group was frying up little dough balls with specks of onion and mushroom topped with a sprinkle of salt for the salate variety or sugar for the dolce variety, which we enjoyed for a small donation.

To see more of our pictures from Nervi, click here.

All around Genova there are remains of defensive walls built at various times between the 12th and 17th centuries. In our neighborhood at the edge of Porto Antico there are sections of walls that once formed the seawall, and in the city center Porta Soprana is a 12th century city gate complete with two battle towers.

In the hills outside the city long length of defensive walls and fortresses make for good hiking and exploring. The easiest outpost to reach from the city is Fort Sperone, which watches over the city of just like the defensive fortification it once was. To get to the fort we took a ride up the funicular, which is a part of the public transportation system in this vertical city. The funicular let us off in Righi, 300 meters above the city. From there the road leads past an astronomy observatory to a park overlooking the eastern side of Genova. A path begins along the defensive wall that leads up the final steep stretch to Fort Sperone. Slightly muted by a haze that hangs along the coast, there are sweeping views of Genova from east to west and to neighboring hills topped with other fortifications and barracks. Despite the haze, it’s a refreshing shift in perspective to be looking down into Genova rather than up at our towering surroundings.