On March 19th, 1995, Massimo Bottura opened Osteria Francescana in Via Stella, Modena, and in the same year, he began bottling balsamic vinegar, a family passion, under the Villa Manodori label- an ambitious and visionary project to tell the story of his Emilia region with patience, whilst honoring the passage of time. From its outset, this entrepreneurial journey allowed him to establish a solid foundation for exporting vinegar to the United States thanks to a friend he had met in New York, choosing a distributor who would position Villa Manodori at the highest levels.
An essential economy of scale made to support Massimo's Italian projects and tocontribute to the creation of what is today the Francescana Family. As it approaches its thirtieth anniversary, Villa Manodori celebrates its success with a portfolio of products ranging from balsamic vinegar crus to liqueurs made with balsamic vinegar.
Since 2022, a 1969 vinegar factory adjacent to the country house Casa Maria Luigia has been restored by the Bottura couple to host around 1,400 barrels which rest alongside the artworks that Lara and Massimo have placed inthis magical space. Villa Manodori is not a fanciful name. It is a 16th-century villa of the Estense family, located at the gates of Modena, now restored and home to Massimo’s sister Cristina and her husband Franco.
Legend has it that, during celebrations, balsamic vinegar was served at Villa Manodori as a digestive at the end of the meal. Villa Manodori vinegars are made exclusively from white Trebbiano di Spagna grapes, which have been present in the Modena area since the nineteenth century.
In the Modenese dialect the grape is known as "Tarbianèin": a bunch of golden-yellow grapes and greenish reflections. Not a particularly generous grape in terms of production, still ideal for the constant pursuit of quality. In fact, there is a meticulous selection process for cultivation and manual harvesting. The grapes are pressed gently so as to obtain the exclusivity of the free-run must, the essential base of a great vinegar.
Two special editions of Extra Old Balsamic Vinegar crus created by chef Bottura who was inspired by the school of thought that sees balsamic vinegar as a more complex liquid, rich in tertiary aromas and toastiness in the case of Ginepro, and in contrast, fruitier aromas in the Ciliegio version. Aged in barrels from the old cellar where juniper or cherry woods from the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines have been infused, the Ginepro cru highlights notes of smoked wood, chocolate, coffee, and lots of incense.
Talking with Massimo Bottura on the subject makes it clear, once again, that raw material is not enough. Quality requires a vision that leads to own a vinegarcellar permeated with history and modern functionality. Hence, the recent purchase of 1910 barrels, larger than those from 1920, 1930, and 1940, all restored and refilled. Not to mention, the recovery of rare Modenese vats that rest in the vinegar cellar alongside original works of art.
