Acetaie Aperte 2026 takes place on Sunday, September 27, 2026, bringing visitors into the world of Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP and Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP. More than 30 participating acetaie across Modena province open their production facilities for guided visits, tastings and special activities. The event is organised by the Consorzio Tutela Aceto Balsamico di Modena and the Consorzio Tutela Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rather than functioning as a conventional food festival in one square, Acetaie Aperte is a province-wide gastronomic experience. Visitors choose one or more participating vinegar producers and travel between them to see batteries of wooden barrels, botticelle, production areas and ageing rooms before tasting different balsamic vinegars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The 2026 edition is dedicated to the \u201cOro Nero\u201d of Modena and its many expressions, highlighting both the everyday culinary uses of Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP and the long ageing tradition of Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Les visiteurs peuvent s\u2019attendre \u00e0 :<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Date:<\/strong> Sunday, September 27, 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n Emplacement :<\/strong> Modena province, Emilia-Romagna, Italy<\/p>\n\n\n\n Main event hours:<\/strong> Opening times vary according to the individual acetaia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Participating producers operate different schedules. For example, Acetaia del Cristo is open from 10:30 to 19:15, Acetaia Paltrinieri from 10:00 to 17:00, Acetaia Marchi from 14:30 to 20:00 and Acetaia Sereni offers scheduled tours at 10:30 and 12:00. Visitors should therefore check the individual acetaia listing before travelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The official website provides the complete list of participating producers and their individual opening times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Acetaie Aperte does not have one central festival venue. The event takes place simultaneously at participating vinegar producers throughout the province of Modena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The official 2026 list includes locations in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Important participating locations include Acetaia Malpighi in Modena, Acetaia Giusti’s Piazza Grande boutique, Acetaia Sereni in Marano sul Panaro, Acetaia Manicardi in Castelvetro, Acetaia del Cristo in San Prospero and the Museo dell’Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale in Spilamberto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The event is therefore best approached as a self-guided food-and-culture route rather than a single-site festival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Food and drink programming varies between participating acetaie. The common theme is the tasting and explanation of Modena’s two protected balsamic products, with producers creating their own combinations and menus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Typical food pairings include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Acetaia del Cristo offers tastings of traditional local products alongside Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale DOP, including gnocco fritto, local cured meats, Parmigiano Reggiano, gelato and porchetta. Its programme also includes ricotta and spinach tortelloni and a surprise tortelloni dish paired with Traditional Balsamic Vinegar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the Museo dell’Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale in Spilamberto, visitors can see cooked must being prepared during the day, enjoy snacks paired with balsamic vinegar and, later in the day, participate in an aperitivo featuring Parmigiano Reggiano and wines presented by local winemakers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At Balsamico e Cucina inside Modena’s historic Mercato Albinelli, visitors can sample premium balsamic products, enjoy cocktails containing Aceto Balsamico and have lunch featuring traditional and innovative dishes prepared by chef Shota Mitamura.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The principal products of Acetaie Aperte are the two protected balsamic specialities of Modena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n This product is made using wine vinegar and concentrated or cooked grape must. The permitted grape varieties include Lambruschi, Sangiovese, Trebbiano, Albana, Ancellotta, Fortana and Montuni. The vinegar is aged in wooden containers such as oak, chestnut, mulberry and juniper. Standard Aceto Balsamico di Modena has a minimum ageing period of two months, while the \u201cInvecchiato\u201d version requires at least three years and \u201cRiserva\u201d at least five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Traditional Balsamic Vinegar is made from cooked grape must and aged in small wooden barrels arranged in batteries of decreasing capacity. The protected product is aged for a minimum of 12 years, while the Extra Vecchio category requires at least 25 years. It is traditionally used drop by drop as a finishing ingredient on meat, fish, vegetables, cheese, fruit, desserts and ice cream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Important pairings include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The event is centred on the participating acetaie themselves rather than a traditional collection of festival vendors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More than 30 producers open their facilities in 2026, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many participating acetaie have an on-site shop, allowing visitors to buy the balsamic products they taste during the tour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Balsamic vinegar is the focus, but beverages form an important part of the wider tasting experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Depending on the producer, visitors may encounter:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Acetaia Marchi offers cocktails made with Aceto Balsamico as part of its 2026 experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Museo dell’Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale combines its afternoon aperitivo with Parmigiano Reggiano and wines presented by local winemakers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At Acetaia Manicardi, the guided visit includes tastings of both protected balsamic products together with wines produced by the acetaia and local products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Acetaie Aperte is fundamentally a tasting and educational event, with each participating producer creating its own programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Guided production tours:<\/strong> Visitors can see cooked-must production areas, ageing rooms, batteries of barrels and traditional botticelle before tasting balsamic vinegar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Balsamic tastings:<\/strong> Producers explain the sensory characteristics, ageing and uses of different balsamic products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Balsamic & Parmigiano pairing:<\/strong> OPERA02 offers a 40\u201345 minute Balsamico Experience with a traditional acetaia visit, tasting of three vinegars by the spoon and a selection of Parmigiano Reggiano. The 2026 price is $17.55 per person<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Blind tasting:<\/strong> Acetaia Paltrinieri includes a blind balsamic tasting in which participants attempt to identify the ageing or originating battery, with a bottle awarded to the winner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Balsamic cocktails:<\/strong> Acetaia Marchi combines its guided visit and product tasting with cocktails prepared using Aceto Balsamico. The experience costs $17.55 per person<\/strong>, with children under 12 free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yoga and live music:<\/strong> Acetomodena offers tours and tastings alongside live music and yoga in the vineyard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cooking and food pairing:<\/strong> Acetaia del Cristo combines technical explanations and tastings with traditional food pairings, while its children’s programme includes \u201cGiochi in Botte\u201d and a child-friendly introduction to Traditional Balsamic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is no single event-wide admission ticket because Acetaie Aperte is distributed among many individual producers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Several acetaie offer free access or free activities, while others charge for guided tours and tasting experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Published 2026 examples include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because experiences are organised individually by each producer, reservations, capacity limits and payment arrangements differ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Acetaie Aperte does not operate a central VIP ticket or premium festival pass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Premium-style experiences are instead provided by individual producers and may include private or small-group tours, extensive tastings, special food pairings, historic barrel collections and restaurant experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Acetaia Sereni offers a guided tour of its cooked-must production area and ageing rooms, followed by a pure tasting of its balsamic products, with the possibility of lunch at its restaurant overlooking the Modena hills by reservation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Acetaia Malpighi offers a more detailed experience beginning among vineyards, a botanical garden and lavender area before continuing into the historic acetaie and ending with a tasting. The route includes a historic family barrel dating from the Napoleonic era and is described by the producer as fully accessible for people with mobility difficulties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because each acetaia manages its own programme, visitors should check the specific conditions attached to their chosen experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Parmi les consid\u00e9rations importantes figurent :<\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, Acetaia Sereni has a 20-person capacity, Acetaia Marchi has a 15-person capacity and OPERA02 has a 15-person capacity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Modena is well connected by road and rail and provides a practical base for exploring the participating acetaie across the province.<\/p>\n\n\n\n En voiture :<\/strong> Driving is the most flexible option because the event takes place at multiple producers in different towns. A car makes it easier to create a route between Modena, Castelvetro, Vignola, Spilamberto, Marano sul Panaro and other participating locations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From Bologna:<\/strong> Modena is easily reached by the A1 motorway from Bologna, making the city and surrounding province accessible for visitors arriving from Emilia-Romagna and northern Italy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From Milan:<\/strong> The A1 connects Milan with Modena directly, making the event suitable for a day trip or weekend visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From Florence:<\/strong> The A1 provides the principal road connection from Florence toward Bologna and Modena.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Within the province:<\/strong> Because the participating acetaie are dispersed across multiple municipalities, visitors should plan their route in advance rather than attempting to visit every producer in one day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The official producer list provides the exact address and opening hours for each location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Public transport is practical for reaching Modena itself, but visiting several rural acetaie can be more complicated because producers are distributed throughout the province.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Visitors arriving by train can use Modena as their principal base and then use regional buses, taxis or organised transport for individual producer visits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For visitors driving between acetaie, parking arrangements depend on the individual producer. Many producers have on-site parking or access to parking around their facilities, but visitors should verify arrangements before arrival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because some experiences have limited capacity, arriving by car and visiting a small number of preselected producers is generally the easiest way to build a practical itinerary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The official event website lists each acetaia’s address, opening hours, contact details, capacity and booking requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Modena is the most convenient main base for visitors who want access to the widest range of participating producers while also enjoying the city’s restaurants, museums and historic centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Les zones d\u2019h\u00e9bergement utiles incluent :<\/p>\n\n\n\n Staying overnight allows visitors to visit several producers without trying to complete the entire experience as a single-day drive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The central gastronomic experience is the tasting of balsamic vinegar in different ageing stages and with different local foods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most important combinations include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Visitors should pay attention to the differences between the IGP and DOP products. The IGP product has a broader everyday culinary role, while Traditional Balsamic DOP is presented as a concentrated finishing ingredient used in small quantities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The experience is as much about learning how to taste balsamic as it is about eating it. Producers explain sweetness, acidity, aroma, density, persistence and the effects of different woods and ageing periods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Accessibility varies between participating acetaie, so visitors should check the individual producer listing before booking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Several locations specifically state that they are equipped for visitors with disabilities. Acetaia Marchi, OPERA02, Acetaia del Cristo, Acetomodena, Acetaia Malpighi and Acetaia Giusti’s Piazza Grande boutique are among the locations that identify accessibility facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other locations explicitly state that they are not equipped for visitors with disabilities. For example, Acetaia Sereni and Acetaia Manicardi currently indicate that their facilities are not equipped for disabled visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Visitors with mobility requirements should therefore select an individual producer based on its published accessibility information and contact the acetaia directly before travelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sunday, September 27:<\/strong> This is the main and only Acetaie Aperte 2026 event day. Because producers operate different schedules, the best strategy is to choose two or three participating locations in advance and reserve experiences where required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For a traditional balsamic-focused itinerary, Spilamberto is particularly useful because the Museo dell’Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale combines guided visits, cooked-must demonstrations, tastings, an aperitivo and access to the expertise of the Maestri della Consorteria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For a broader countryside experience, visitors can combine a producer such as Acetaia Sereni or Acetaia Malpighi with lunch or a vineyard visit. For a city-based experience, Modena locations such as Acetaia Giusti and the Balsamico e Cucina experience at Mercato Albinelli allow visitors to explore balsamic without travelling far outside the historic centre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Acetaie Aperte has been running since 2002 and has developed into a territorial event connecting dozens of producers with gastronomy, culture and tourism throughout the Modena area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Previous editions have established the event’s characteristic format of opening balsamic vinegar producers to the public, allowing visitors to enter production and ageing spaces that are not normally part of an ordinary sightseeing itinerary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most important recurring experiences include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The 2026 programme expands this format with experiences ranging from blind tastings and balsamic cocktails to vineyard yoga, live music, children’s activities and themed food pairings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The event’s continuing focus is the cultural heritage behind Modena’s two protected balsamic products and the producers who maintain traditional ageing methods in wooden barrels and batteries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Acetaie Aperte does not use one central admission ticket. Each participating producer establishes its own programme, capacity, reservation system and pricing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The official website provides the complete list of participating acetaie and links to the individual producer information pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\nVous visitez cet \u00e9v\u00e9nement ? Ne manquez pas ces activit\u00e9s et exp\u00e9riences locales \u00e9tonnantes pendant votre s\u00e9jour.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Lieu et site du festival<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
Programme complet de restauration et de boissons<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
Aliments et sp\u00e9cialit\u00e9s en vedette<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
Restaurants, vendeurs et producteurs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
S\u00e9lection de vins, bi\u00e8res et boissons<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
D\u00e9gustations, d\u00e9monstrations culinaires et ateliers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Types de billets et options d\u2019entr\u00e9e<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
Exp\u00e9riences VIP et premium<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
R\u00e8gles de l\u2019\u00e9preuve<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
Comment y arriver<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Transports en commun et stationnement<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Zones d\u2019h\u00e9bergement<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
Temps forts de la nourriture et des boissons<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
Accessibilit\u00e9<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Meilleurs jours \u00e0 assister<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Faits marquants de l\u2019ann\u00e9e pr\u00e9c\u00e9dente<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
Billets officiels<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Accueil<\/a><\/blockquote>