Aceto Balsamico di Modena from the oldest Acetaia
Giuseppe Giusti of Modena is Italy's oldest vinegar manufacturer, founded in 1605. For over 400 years and through 17 generations, they have been producing Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP, aged using the Solera method in centuries-old wooden barrels.
Giuseppe Giusti is the oldest and most awarded acetaia in Italy, based in Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region. The house has been producing Aceto Balsamico di Modena since 1605 and ages its vinegars in over 600 antique barrels made of oak, chestnut, cherry, and juniper. If you are looking for a balsamic with true history—dark, dense, and complex—Giusti is the right choice, whether for everyday use or a festive table.
At home in Modena since 1605
The Giusti family was first documented in the late 16th century in connection with the production of Aceto Balsamico, and the name has been in the register of the city of Modena since 1605.
Since then, one generation has passed its knowledge down to the next; today, the 17th generation runs the house. For centuries, the craft has remained within the family, along with the precious barrels in which the balsamic ages. This continuity is rare, and you can taste it, as the oldest barrels impart flavors that no new wood can provide. What is once lost could never be replaced, which is why the family guards its barrels like a treasure.
The house experienced its major rise during the Belle Époque, when a growing desire for enjoyment, luxury, and travel made the fine vinegars from Modena famous. At the international world exhibitions of that time, Giusti won 14 gold medals—a true shower of medals that permanently fueled demand for these treasures from Emilia-Romagna.
The vinegars were so convincing that in 1929, King Vittorio Emanuele III named the house a supplier to the Royal House of Savoy. The gold medals from that time still appear on the labels today and guide you through the quality levels, because the more medals, the longer the balsamic has been aged.
From the Silver Medal to the Banda Rossa
The centerpiece is the Collezione Storica, five Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP with increasing density and maturity, bottled in the historic "Champagnotta" bottle. Fruity, spicy, velvety—these are the distinctions between the stages, from the light entry-level to the dark top-of-the-line products.
The entry is made easy with the light 1 Medaglia d'Argento with a density of 1.18, ideal for salads. It is followed by the versatile 2 Medaglie d'Oro Il Classico with notes of licorice and pepper. The popular 3 Medaglie d'Oro Il Denso, with a density of 1.32, brings notes of plum, honey, and vanilla, while the 4 Medaglie d'Oro Quarto Centenario elevates this to 1.36 with tobacco and coffee.
At the top stands the 5 Medaglie d'Oro Banda Rossa, once a gift exclusively for the family, today the pride of the acetaia. For those who prefer a lighter version, there is the Condimento Bianco made from Trebbiano grapes; for those seeking organic, the Bio Balsamico; and for an everyday vinegar, the Bordolese for every day.
In addition, there are the dense Condimenti based on Il Denso, refined with real raspberry, fig, or black truffle, as well as light agrodolce dressings made from wine vinegar and fruit juice, ranging from apple and pomegranate to raspberry. A single house thus covers the entire spectrum, from heavy festive seasoning to fresh summer dressings.
In the case of the Condimenti, real fruit purée or real truffles are aged directly in the balsamic; you can taste this in the deep, natural aroma. The agrodolce versions, by contrast, are intentionally kept light so they can be drizzled generously. Those who want to get to know the house are best off starting with Il Denso, the acetaia's most representative vinegar, and working their way up and down the range from there.
La Ricetta Giusti: good grapes and time
As early as 1863, Giuseppe Giusti recorded his three rules for the best vinegar at the agricultural exhibition in Modena, known to this day as "La Ricetta Giusti."
Put simply, they are good grapes, good barrels, and time, according to Giuseppe Giusti. The grapes are primarily Trebbiano and Lambrusco from Emilia-Romagna; the cooked must matures together with wine vinegar using the Solera method, in which younger vinegar is regularly transferred into older barrels, where it absorbs the flavors of its predecessors.
These barrels are the house's true treasure; some date back to the 18th and 19th centuries and are irreplaceable. From their wood—oak, chestnut, cherry, and ash—the balsamic draws its spice; as Giuseppe already knew, the longer the aging, the rounder the result.
It is precisely this interplay of time, wood, and patience that makes the difference compared to industrial balsamic, which is often enhanced with colorings and thickeners. At Giusti, only cooked grape must and aged wine vinegar go into the bottle; the rest is aging in the barrel.
Modena and neighboring Reggio Emilia are the only regions where genuine Aceto Balsamico can be produced, as stipulated by the IGP protection status. Giusti is one of the very few houses there that has preserved this tradition for four centuries without interruption, and you can taste that in every drop.
14 gold medals and a test victory
The 14 gold medals from the world exhibitions remain part of the brand's trademark to this day and appear on every label of the Collezione Storica.
In 2009, the German magazine "Der Feinschmecker" named the 3 Medaglie d'Oro Il Denso the test winner—a lovely confirmation for the house's secret favorite. As early as 1929, the Royal House of Savoy had named Giusti a supplier to the court, an honor the house still holds today. International chefs and gourmet retailers have also long valued these vinegars because they are reliably consistent, year after year, from the same old barrels.
These awards honor the work of generations, not quick success. 400 years of history packed into every bottle—a vinegar house first has to achieve that. Hats off.
Anyone looking for a truly good Aceto Balsamico in a restaurant or gourmet shop will sooner or later come across the name Giuseppe Giusti. The medals on the label are not marketing, but a real piece of history that can be tasted level by level.
Our recommendations from the range
From this assortment, we recommend different products depending on the occasion, from everyday vinegar to a festive drop.
Il Denso is used in drops over aged Parmesan, ripe strawberries, or a risotto, while the light Condimento Bianco shines with fish and asparagus. For every day, reach for the Bordolese; for special moments, the Banda Rossa; and as a gift, the Duetto set with dark and light vinegar is a joy.
For the kitchen, it is worth having two bottles on hand: a dense, dark one for refining and a light or fruity one for dressing salads and fish. That way, you have the right drop for almost any dish in your cupboard without having to think twice.
You can find the dark vinegars bundled in our Balsamic selection, and the fruity dressings in the Fruit Vinegar selection. Taste your way through the medals, from the light silver to the dense gold, and find your favorite for everyday use and festive occasions. This is how Modena tastes: in many stages and in a quality that has been aging for over four centuries.
