From Tuscany we travel over to Modena. Revered for its magnificent flavor today and known for its healing and soothing powers during Medieval Times, balsamic vinegar from Modena, Italy, is prepared in the ancient tradition... from the cooked must of the Trebbiano grapes blended with strong red wine vinegar.
The blend is moved through a succession of casks (Oak, Chestnut, Cherry, Ash, Mulberry, and Juniper) allowing for an enriched flavor and diminished volume. The result is a brilliant, dark brown vinegar with a distinct aroma and rich flavor. “Chefs in Aspen are attaching sprayers to the bottle and spraying this balsamic onto grilled steaks. It is drizzled over white peaches and raspberries all summer long on the Cape,” says Henry.
The Fondo di Trebbiano line includes three-year-old, eight-year-old and 12-year-old
barrel-aged vinegars. A beautiful bottle of the 12-year-old sits proudly in a gift box on Henry’s desk.
“Our producer is one of the few registered producers in the world,” says Henry. “Our legendary 12-year-old vinegar has just been debarrelled and is being offered to the United States market for the first time.”
Sid Wainer & Son also carries this fine vinegar, available for food service, in a three-and eight-year-old blend, packaged in a five liter container. “Our eight-year-old is currently being used in the preparation of food by numerous James Beard award winners throughout the United States,” adds Henry.
The procedure for making this first-class vinegar is slightly different from other producers, but this vinegar is prepared according to ancient ways. The cooking elixir is aged without aromatics, dating back to a very ancient and noble tradition of Modena.
“According to tradition a stone is picked from the Panaro River and is put on the opening of the barrel, instead of a cork, which lets the necessary air in, so that the vinegar can oxygenate,” explains Henry. “The barrels are then stored in a dark attic in dim light, and the balsamic is moved through a succession of woods, until the consistency in the age meets the specifications to be rated as true balsamic of Modena.”
“The succession of different woods is one of the reasons for its flavors,” explains Henry. “The result is a precious dark brown liquid which is deep and bright, with syrupy consistency with a sweet and sour taste and harmonic acidity. Exquisite.”
Up in the hills of Alba in northeastern Italy we find Henry searching for truffles. For three years he searched for a family that would take the time to search out only the finest in Italy. He came close many times, but several bowls of risotto later, Henry just could not find an authentic truffle hunter. Relentless in his search, his luck turned favorable while attending a food show in Europe. He was introduced to the image he had in mind, a man on a bicycle with a big curly mustache and a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, with a dog by his side.
The man’s resume was tops. “For 70 years, his family, aided by their truffle scenting dog, set out to track down an underground mushroom whose intoxicating fragrance and exquisite flavor is unlike that of anything that abounds in the forest,” Henry boasts. It’s rustic. It’s authentic. It’s tradition. Hence, it’s these criteria that make it’s way to the Fondo Di Alba® product line. Henry comments, “When the truffle products arrive in my building, the aroma permeates through the entire warehouse and just sets everyone in the building into a whole new frame of mind!”
The Fondo Di Alba line of truffle products includes white and black truffle oils, truffle breakings, and truffle peelings. Fresh black and white truffles are also available seasonally.
On February 25, 1997, the American Tasting Institute awarded Sid Wainer & Son the Gold Medal Award of Excellence for the Fondo Di Alba® at Carnegie Hall.
