House of Made in Italy will open its calendar of initiatives of 2026 with a masterclass dedicated to the Balsamic vinegar of Modena, scheduled on January 22 in New York. The event will be held from 11 am to the Columbus Citizens Foundation, the historic headquarters of the Italian American institution on East 69th Street, and will be reserved for a selected audience of operators in the agribusiness and catering sector. The masterclass is part of the promotion activities of Made in Italy in the United States and officially inaugurates the annual program of House of Made in Italy for the new year
The management of the meeting will be entrusted to Acetaia Giusti, founded in 1605 and considered the oldest acetaia in the world still in activity. The format includes a historical introduction accompanied by guided tasting: the production process of the Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, as well as the differences between the various types, from balsamic dressing to products with protected geographical indication. It will also be an opportunity to clarify often little known aspects to the international market, such as aging in barrels of different woods or the distinction between Balsamic Vinegar of Modena IGP and Traditional Balsamic Vinegar DOP, two products that share the name but respond to very different disciplinary and price ranges.
The project is supported by a network of institutional and private partners active in the promotion of Italian agribusiness abroad, including the 100% Italian Institute, Italian agro-food certification body, as an educational partner and the Italian Trade Agency, the government body responsible for promoting the development of Italian companies on foreign markets and attracting investments in Italy, as well as sponsors related to the food sector such as Casa Modena, Caputo, GranTerre, Moninire. The masterclass is part of a series of initiatives aimed at strengthening the knowledge of authentic Italian products on the US market, where the Balsamic Vinegar of Modena is one of the most exported categories but also one of the most subject to imitation and abuse.
The international projection of the Balsamic Vinegar of Modena is significant, and tells that more than 90 % of the certified production is destined for foreign markets; the Balsamic vinegar of Modena present in more than 130 countries according to the data of the Consortium protection. The value of foreign sales has increased in recent years, from around $302 million in 2019 to over $332 million in 2023, with the United States among the main importers. These numbers place the Balsamic Vinegar of Modena among the Italian IGs, that is the agri-food products protected by the EU because linked to a precise territory, with the highest product quota sold outside the national borders, along with other specialties such as Parmigiano Reggiano DOP and Parma DOP Ham.
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