Leonardi

Acetaia Leonardi has made Balsamic Vinegar of Modena in Formigine, in the hills outside Modena, since 1871, and also makes saba, a sweet syrup of cooked grape must.

About Leonardi

Based in
Formigine (Modena), Italy
Founded
1871
Known for
Balsamic Vinegar of Modena and saba

Acetaia Leonardi sits in the hills outside Modena, in Formigine, where the Leonardi family began producing in 1871. The methods have been handed down over five generations, and the family still oversees each step from the grape harvest to bottling. Its main work is Balsamic Vinegar of Modena.

Alongside the vinegar, the acetaia makes saba from the same raw material, grape must. Drizzle saba over Parmigiano Reggiano, fresh ricotta, roasted squash or vanilla ice cream, or brush it on pork and duck as a glaze.

Leonardi questions

What is saba?

Saba is grape must, the freshly pressed juice of grapes with their skins and seeds, cooked down slowly until it thickens into a sweet syrup. The ancient Romans boiled must the same way to make a sweetener they called sapa. Acetaia Leonardi makes saba alongside its balsamic vinegar in Formigine, near Modena.

How is saba different from balsamic vinegar?

Both start from cooked grape must, and saba is in fact the syrup that traditional balsamic vinegar begins as. For balsamic, the cooked must is then fermented and turned into vinegar over years in wooden casks, and Balsamic Vinegar of Modena also has wine vinegar added, which makes it tart. Saba skips those steps, so it stays sweet rather than sour. Use it where you want grape sweetness without the tang.

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