The Mengazzoli family of Levata de Curtatone produce Clearspring organic [1] Italian vinegars by the traditional method of slow fermentation in wooden kegs.
Some years ago when Clearspring's founder Christopher Dawson set out to find the finest Italian vinegars, he searched far and wide for a traditional acetificio that still followed time-honoured processes and used certified organic ingredients.
When he met the Mengazzoli family, based near the historical city of Mantova in Lombardy, he knew his search was over. Cesare and Elda Mengazzoli have for years been making classic wine vinegars using local grapes at Levata di Curtatone near Mantova, and at Modena producing the finest balsamic vinegars.
Many wine vinegars nowadays are made using a ‘rapid’ method, whereby the fermentation process is mechanically induced in a stainless steel container, and takes only a few hours. Those made by Mengazolli for Clearspring, however, have a slow, traditional method dating back centuries, which results in a vastly superior and more characterful product.
To make Clearspring wine vinegars, the Mengazolli family first carefully select special dry and aromatic wine whose taste and fragrance is strong enough to hold up through the vinegar making process. Then they slowly percolate this wine, drip by drip, through wood chips and grape bundles to slowly develop its acidity.
There are no attempts to speed up the process by artificial means, and it takes at least six months. As our friends at Mengazzoli put it, it’s as though the acetobacter bacteria are relaxing leisurely by the pool, sipping cocktails and topping up their tans. The result is a superior wine vinegar with a deep, fully rounded flavour.
When the required acidity is reached they careful draw off the vinegar for ageing in barrels of bay oak and larch wood whose subtle aromas gently support rather than overpower the delicate flavour of their vinegar.
When it comes to Clearspring balsamic vinegars, especially the exclusive Vintage Aged Balsamic variety, the barrels in which the mixture of wine vinegar and simmered grape juice is matured are of particular importance.
The barrels used by Mengazolli are made from bay oak and larch wood, which imparts a subtle but not overpowering aroma to the vinegar. They are also impregnated with grape musts containing the bacteria required for the creation of vinegar, which also impart a unique character to the mixture.
The barrels are not filled completely, and are left unsealed to allow the oxygen essential to the fermentation process to enter freely, with the aperture being protected by a piece of cloth. The entire process can take several years in the case of the Vintage Aged Balsamic variety. Because musts and vinegars of different ages are mixed in the barrels to attain the perfect blend, it is therefore not possible to give an exact vintage or length of aging on the bottle.
According to Mengazzoli, one of the characteristics of a good quality vinegar is its volatility. Unlike some other balsamic vinegar producers, Mengazzoli do not use chemical intervention, for example the addition of sulphur dioxide, to cease the maturation process. For this reason, variations in colour, consistency and taste are sometimes discernable.
Rather than being viewed as a flaw, however, this is seen as a sign of individuality and character, and the hallmark of a quality vinegar. Before bottling, the vinegar is filtered one more time, stabilising it and thus helping to maintain its characteristic flavour and aroma.
www.mengazzoli.it [2]