cherry, juniper), which are kept in an attic or
other location where they’re exposed to the
variations and extremes of the local climate.
In summer heat, the concentrated sugars and
amino acids react with each other to produce
aroma molecules more commonly found in
roasted and browned foods, and the
fermentation products and by-products react
with each other to form a heady mixture. As
evaporation continues to remove water and
concentrate the must (about 10% of the barrel
disappears each year), each barrel is
replenished with must from the next younger
barrel. Finished vinegar, whose average age
must be a minimum of 12 years, is removed
from the oldest barrel. According to one
estimate, it takes about 70 lb/36 kg of grapes
to make 1 cup/250 ml of traditional balsamic
vinegar.
Notice that there’s no initial alcoholic
fermentation before the acetification begins.
Instead, a mixed culture of yeasts and bacteria
barry
(Barry)
#1