Acetaia Giusti – Modena dal 1605 – Giusti Museum – Made in Italy – Best World Vinegar
The story of Acetaia Giusti starts in Modena, where know-how and taste come together in a priceless heritage of knowledge. Over 400 years of history and traditions told through the heritage of objects and historical documents preserved for generations by the Giusti family in our Museum.
Gran Deposito Aceto Balsamico Giuseppe Giusti
Modena since 1605 – The Oldest Vinegar Company in The World
“The perfection of the Balsamic Vinegars of Modena depends solely by three conditions: choice of the grapes, quality of the recipients and Time.” G. Giusti
History – Key Milestones
1605. Giuseppe and Francesco Maria Giusti are registered in the first list of commercial activities, created by Cesare d-Este, the newly crowned Duke of Modena.
1700. The Giusti production grows through the acquisition of new casks and the purchase of others already producing balsamic vinegar from families of Modena.
1861. Giuseppe Giusti brings the A3 barrel to the Italian National Fair in Florence, authorized by the Italian Royal family, and is awarded a gold medal for his “90 years old balsamic vinegar”.
1863. During a Fair in Modena, Giuseppe Giusti presents the first document of his “golden rules” for the “perfect balsamic vinegar”.
1880. The first “Commercial Samples” of Giusti Balsamic Vinegar are sent by post, anticipatig its future diffusion throughout Italy and Europe.
1889 – 1900. Giusti participates at International Fairs, from Paris to Antwerp, accumulating awards and medals for the outstanding quality of its balsamic vinegars.
1900. The boutique, opened in the early 1600’s, becomes the “Premiata Salumeria Gisuti”, remaining throughout the centuries a point of reference for food lovers and local gourmet excellences.
1929. Giusti becomes the official supplier of the King of Italy, the Savoia family, who grants the right to add the Royal Seal of Approval to Giusti products.
1930. The market grows and Giusti starts to bottle his balsamic vinegars in the only bottles locally available, the ones for the wine “Lambrusco”.
1950. The finest and oldest balsamic vinegars are bottled in smaller glasses, anticipating the Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena DOP.
1990. Giusti moves from the attics of the Delicatessen in the center of Modena into a farmhouse located in the Modena countryside, opening its doors to food lovers from all over the world.
2015. Celebrating Expo Milan 2015, Giusti founds together with the Ferrari Museums the tour “Discover Ferrari & Pavarotti Land”, a program to visit the best local food excellences.
The Family
The Giusti family has directly guided the company since 1605, with passion and a long term strategy, arriving today at the 17th generation. Claudio and Francesca, together with Luciano, continue the project started by their ancestors, uniting a respect for tradition with a flexible, modern and sustainable company management, centered on well being and valorization of the people, the territory and the community with which it engages.
The Knowledge
Obtaining a great balsamic vinegar depends on the competence, experience and taste of its maker. Not only a careful selection of the grapes, but also the cooking system and above all the great complexity of the ageing process, with casks of various woods and sizes. These are the factors that the “maestro acetiere” needs to manage to obtain a great result. Not to forget time, an important element for course of the natural processes; traditionally, a generation prepares the balsamic vinegar for the next generation.
The Casks
Ageing in casks is definitely the most crucial part of the creation of balsamic vinegar. The older the cask, the better the balsamic vinegar will be, as casks release an increasing intensity of wood essences and complexity of aromas from the vinegars left to age throughout the years. That’s why the heart of our production is an “acetaia” of 600 casks dating back to 18th and 19th centuries, from where the most pure extractions, responsible for the unmistakable aroma of all Giusti Balsamic Vinegars, are collected.
The Awards
Giuseppe Giusti balsamic vinegars have collected many recognitions since the company’s foundation through to today. The most meaningful awards were obtained during the Belle-Epoque, when the Giusti family presented their balsamic vinegars at the national and international food fairs. The 14 Gold Medals that characterize the famous Giusti label, designed in the early 1900s, date back to this era. In addition to these medals, there is also the Royal Seal of Approval, granted from the King of Italy in 1929.
The Museum
The Giusti family, through the centuries, has collected a great patrimony of objects and documents regarding the world of Balsamic Vinegar. From ancient ceramic vases used to store the balsamic vinegars, ancient tools.