The art of Parmigiano Reggiano and real Balsamic vinegar

About this tour

Spend four hours in Modena's countryside discovering how Parmigiano Reggiano and Traditional Balsamic Vinegar are made at a working dairy farm and family acetaia. You'll watch cheesemakers turn milk into cheese using time-honoured techniques, then climb into a barrel-lined attic where grape must transforms into vinegar over years. This is production-line agriculture stripped back to craft—small-scale, hands-on, run by people who've been doing this for generations.

Highlights

• Meet the cows and observe the milking process firsthand
• Watch cheesemakers shape Parmigiano Reggiano from scratch
• Explore wooden barrel rooms aging balsamic vinegar
• Taste snacks paired with both products
• Learn the chemistry behind fermentation and ageing
• Visit two working farm sites in the Modena region

What to expect

The tour splits between two countryside locations. First stop: an organic dairy where you'll see cows being milked and cheesemakers at work, shaping curds and pressing wheels. The second is a traditional acetaia—a family-run vinegar house where you'll climb into attic spaces stacked with wooden barrels. Inside, cooked grape must ages quietly, developing complexity over months and years. Expect close-up access to both production areas, coffee or tea, and light snacks. Both sites are accessible by wheelchair, though you'll need your own transport or arrange a paid transfer beforehand.

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