In Modena, the oldest vinegar producer in the
world - founded over four hundred years ago and now run by the seventeenth
generation - thinks about the future and sells everywhere abroad. Centuries-old
knowledge, constant research, entrepreneurial vision focused on flexibility,
sustainability and promotion of the territory. For FARE INSIEME Giampaolo
Colletti interviews Claudio Stefani Giusti, CEO of Acetaia Giusti
di Giampaolo Colletti
@gpcolletti
Photocredit: Giacomo Maestri e Francesca Aufiero
“The perfection of balsamic
vinegar from Modena depends solely on three conditions: the choice of grapes,
the quality of the barrel and, mostly, time.” Thus, in 1863, Giuseppe Giusti,
one of those seventeen generations that, between the 17th century and today,
have alternated in the management of the oldest vinegar factory in the world,
sets down the golden rules to obtain the perfect balsamic vinegar. He did so
during the Modena Agricultural Exhibition. The recipe brings out the black gold from the attics of palaces
and makes it part of the Modena gastronomic tradition. Leaving a mark - this is
what Giuseppe Giusti did. After all, there are entrepreneurial stories that
look to the future even if they were
born in the past. A future that can
be explained going back in time over the centuries as far as 1605. That's when
Acetaia Giusti - which is still the oldest in the world - was established in
Modena, the cradle of balsamic vinegar. The time element, we said. After all,
Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena Dop is obtained only with cooked grape
and must be aged using the ancient “rincalzi e travasi” (i.e.pouring and
refilling) method in barrels of very different woods. It is aged for a minimum
of twelve years, while extra-vecchio is aged for a minimum of twenty-five.
Today, the company boasts 65 employees plus ten abroad who are thirty years of
age on average with a turnover of €11 million, 65% of which deriving from
global exports. Roots anchored in its community and a gaze directed abroad
thanks to the four branches in Germany, Hong Kong, South Korea and America. Pages
of the future that are written day after day, also safeguarding tradition. Just
think that Museo Giusti, which is open every day, welcomes up to 30thousand
visitors a year.
Story
of a myth. Let's take a step back in time. The
first traces of balsamic vinegar production in Modena date back to Roman times,
but it was during the Renaissance that the black gold of Modena - that elixir
that enchanted princes and kings - conquered a place of honour on the tables of
the European aristocracy. The recipe was handed down by word of mouth through
the generations and the barrels were jealously guarded in the attics of the
Modena homes. More than four hundred years have passed since the ancestors of
the Giusti families set up the first barrels in the attics of their house in
via Farini, in Modena’s city centre. Since then, every generation has handed
down the knowledge, sensitivity and passion to produce excellent-quality
balsamic vinegar. Then, with the Belle
Époque, the value of the Giusti
Balsamic Vinegar was recognised beyond national borders as well: as a
result, fourteen golden medals were acquired that were drawn in the early 1900s
and still characterize the label, together with emblem of the “Fornitori della
Real Casa Savoia” (Suppliers of the Royal House of Savoy) granted by King
Victor Emmanuel III of Italy. The company has its roots in a past that becomes
a drive for innovation. “We are now niche luxury producers. Everything shows
care for detail. Our label, for example, was designed in the Liberty style in
the late 1800s. From the bond with the territory and the attention towards new
trends, parallel initiatives aimed at promoting the brand developed over the
years,” explains Claudio Stefani Giusti, CEO at Acetaia Giusti. This
entrepreneur, born in 1973 and trained in management engineering with a past in
strategic consultancy, projected the company towards the future thanks to young
and flexible management and a glocal
approach. Centuries-old knowledge and young entrepreneurial vision combine with
promotion of the territory. “But people are the most precious ingredient. I
have learned that success passes through their well-being. We work with a
transversal model here: strategies and experiences are shared by all
departments. Continuous training feeds a dynamics way of thinking that is at
the basis of diversified growing strategies,” stresses Giusti. Strong identity
and immediate recognisability on the shelves and in restaurants all over the
world: Nowadays, Acetaia
Giusti is Rinascente’s leading food supplier and one of the main for Eataly
suppliers. But it is looking for new experiences. The first Bottega
Giusti opened in 2019 in piazza Grande - a boutique for balsamic vinegar part
of a palace designed by the great architect Gio Ponti overlooking the iconic square
that is a Unesco World Heritage Site. “We have also opened our experiential
shops in Bologna and Milan as well. Ancient and modern join forces to form a
winning combination. Today, embracing tradition is the key to success,” says
Giusti.
A journey through time and space. The new facility was
inaugurated in 2018 in a completely-restored agricultural town dating back to
the mid-1800s. The six hundred 18th and 19th-century historic barrels still in
use are the heart of the factory. This is where the new Museo Giusti is also
located: a thematic path developed across ten rooms that illustrates the
thousand-year history of balsamic vinegar, the secrets behind its production
and an encounter with the Giusti family. A journey through time and space - the
ancient pitchers used for storing, the tools used over the centuries by the
vinegar asters and the first bottles and advertising fliers from the early
1900s. The century-old barrels, some of which are still in use, are among the
most precious artefacts. It is an immersive experience, since there is even a
tasting space where guests can savour the products from the historic factory.
“We feel strongly about the value of the historic heritage we carry with us and
do everything we can to share it as much as possible,” concludes Giusti. Work
is currently under way on the new production facility covering over thirty
thousand square metres with an investment of approximately €9 million. A modern, smart,
efficient and sustainable space. To look forward to the centuries to come.
https://podcast.confindustriaemilia.it/
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