Gigi’s Black Gold

Coming from batteries (series of barrels) started in the early 60s,“Gigi’s Black Gold” is a brand name in memory of my father,

lover of gastronomy and in particular of this balsamic nectar obtained with the traditional method passed down from artisan to artisan

in the province of Reggio Emilia. This method will be described in a specific section

It is a balsamic dressing
This precious nectar is gluten-free with no added sulfites.

 

 

 

It is a completely NATURAL and complex product, with a velvety dark brown color and an intense sweet and sour taste.

The aroma absorbed from the different wooden casks in which they were aged in, is strong,

decisive, penetrating and persistent, yet at the same time harmonious and balanced by years of aging.

The product does not expire. We indicate about 15 years.

 

At room temperature away from the light.

The bottle must always be closed after use.

 

 

 

Our product comes in 100 ml. and 200 ml. (3.4 and 8.5 Fl. oz.) numbered bottles.
It is presented in a prestigious silk-screened wooden package.

Both the wooden package and the bottle has a screen-printed profile portrait of Gigi, designed by a family friend Carlo Dotti.
Inside the box there is a parchment in both Italian and English languages with the description of the product, in addition to the pourer cap in glass and cork.

 

USE :

There is a particular preference for its use on mature cheeses such as on aged (24
months) Parmesan cheese flakes , raw meats or fish. Absolutely delicious on desserts,
fruit or on Italian Ice cream (es. Vanilla, Cream and Strawberry).
It is also an elixir to be tasted at the end of a meal as a digestive.
Being a precious product with strong personality , we recommend using it a few
drops at a time.
Here are some homemade recipes available handwritten or originally typed by my
father on his very first PC.

 

 

 

 

This procedure has two important purposes:
1. To sterilize the must from unwanted substances. Impurities are skimmed away and discarded because it could alter fermentation which should take place only in the barrels.
2. Reduce the grape must to a concentrate of about one third of its volume by evaporation.

Cooking induces a series of reactions, which mainly involve sugar concentration that contribute to define color and part of the aroma that is typical of balsamic vinegar. The sugar content also provides nourishment for the yeast.

Yeast transforms sugar into alcohol, producing nourishment for acetic bacteria which then turns the alcohol into acetic acid.
The grape must is simmered for approximately12 hours. It is the manufacturer’s responsibility to avoid excessively over cooking at high temperatures as the sugar will caramelize, blocking fermentation, thus giving the must an unpleasant, scorched taste.
Alcoholic fermentation and Acetic oxidation
To obtain a must with 24% sugar and 6% alcohol the cooked must is removed from the kettle and cooled, then it is transferred to holding tanks “badessa” with the addition of adequate yeasts, alcoholic fermentation will start.
The cooked must actually benefits from the alternating cold winter season and the summer heat.
The cold temperature allows the must to rest, mature and ferment; the grape must is decanted becoming clearer.
In the summer heat the acetobacters are set in motion which transforms the alcohol of the must into acetic acid.
During summer months the area should be kept ventilated and the premises kept dark.
This natural chemistry allows Balsamic Vinegar to develop and improve for years.
Maturation and Aging in Wooden Casks
The product ages in groups of 5 or 6 progressively smaller barrels (battery or barrel set) usually made from various different woods.

The barrels range from 60 liters to the smallest of about 10 liters.
At this point the care, attention and experience in choosing the sequence of woods to use for aging is extremely important.
Most producers generally use the following woods:
• chestnut, which yields color and facilitates acidification;
• oak, strong and compact, confers a vanilla aroma;
• cherry, gives the condiment a fruit aroma, sweet and delicate;
• juniper, defines a strong aroma of resinous wood.

 

AGING AND REFINING PROCEDURE:

The method is as follows:
• 1st year: all the scaled barrels (battery set) are filled to 80% of their capacity with cooked must fermented and acetified in the “badessa” (each year the cooked must loses approximately 10% of its volume to evaporation).
• 2nd year: the decanting begins:
The 1st barrel is topped off with vinegar from the 2nd barrel (to compensate for the 10% loss of its content)
The 2nd is topped off with vinegar from the 3rd barrel
The 3rd is topped off with vinegar from the 4th barrel
The 4th barrel is topped off with vinegar from the 5th barrel
The 5th barrel is topped up with new cooked must fermented and acetified in the “badessa”.
• From the 3rd year on, this process is repeated annually.
• The 13th year, approximately 15% of the content suitable for “Gigi’s Black Gold” is withdrawn from the smallest cask for bottling .

 

CONTROL:
Chemical characteristics:

each batch is controlled for density and acidity. “Gigi’s Black Gold” has a density of approximately 1.35/ml and about 6% of acidity.
• Organoleptic characteristics:

Before I consider the “M.V. Balsamic Vinegar” suitable for bottling, each batch is examined for taste, visual characteristics and aroma.