“A normal day in the countryside starts with a local breakfast, then you can enjoy a tour of the farm where you understand from the vineyards to the final product, how we produce this product. You can go into the tasting room where you can try all the balsamic vinegar, then have lunch with traditional Emilian dishes with balsamic vinegar. So from the grape to the final plate you can understand the process.”
We’re in great company with Umberto Sereni, General Manager of Agruturismo Acetaia Sereni working alongside his parents, Pier Luigi and Elisabetta, and siblings, Francesco and Frederica, in stewarding the family name and business.
As the 4th generation to produce and preserve the most precious vinegars in the world, Acetaia Sereni remains synonymous with the quality and craft that goes into Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena DOP.
In this episode, Umberto shares his passion for welcoming and educating guests from all over the world, inviting them to visit his family’s Agriturismo where they share best of the Emilian culinary traditions, Modena experiences, and Italian hospitality, topped with Acetaia Sereni “Black Gold.”
Top Takeaways
[2:15] Since the 1930’s the Sereni family has stewarded the terroir of the Italian countryside, producing some of the most precious vinegars in the world.
[5:50] For the past 10 years, Umberto expresses how he’s welcomed in the challenges in learning how to run a restaurant and hospitality business, while his guests are welcomed to experience this way of living in person.
[8:00] What Umberto has learned from his visionary of a father, Pier Luigi in inventing the concept of tours and tastings to showcase their craft, and his dedicated mother, Elisabetta in her passion for supporting their family’s work and workers.
[14:30] Sandwiched between Modena and Bologna in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy is a small piece of paradise perched upon a hilltop, surrounded by vineyards and panoramic views.
[16:20] From cooking and baking classes to ebike and horseback tours, from test driving Ferrari and Lamborghini motorcars to sitting poolside for Aperitivo paired with Parmigiano Reggiano, there is so much to savor at and around Agriturismo Acetaia Sereni.
[19:00] What makes Acetaia Sereni one of the best and last Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena DOP products, from owning the full “grape growing to bottling,” appreciating the slow aging process, and reserving certain barrels for special moments.
[23:40] Expect a touch of balsamic vinegar blended in or drizzled on every plate at Sereni a Tavola, from breakfast to dessert, and even mixed in an Aperitif or two.
[33:30] The future of Acetaia Sereni is focused on innovation and preservation of balsamic vinegar, passion and investment in family and hospitality.
