“Right now, I still use the same methods, the type of grapes, as my great-grandparents. The only thing that has changed is that now I am responsible for the Aceto Balsamico and my father has always trusted me to carry on in this tradition. Because for us, the balsamic vinegar is your family history in a bottle.”
We’re in great company with Mattia Montanari, the dedicated and determined founder and CEO of Opera|02, a certified organic winery, traditional vinegar cellar, and tastefully designed resort woven into the rolling hills of Modena’s vineyard landscape—where 3 generations of balsamic vinegar mastery meet contemporary hospitality, inviting guests to reconnect with the craft, culture, and terroir of Emilia-Romagna.
Mattia shares how growing up sneaking tastes of balsamic juice and getting his hands dirty in the family harvest shaped his vision to create an immersive experience where travelers could taste, sleep, and live inside his family's legacy.
In this episode, Mattia reveals that true innovation happens not by abandoning tradition, but by creating new ways for others to understand and appreciate it.
Top Takeaways
[2:00] Growing up in Modena, Mattia learned that craft creates connection—a lesson that would later inspire him to invite the world into his family's three-generation story.
[4:35] After traveling through the vineyards of Tuscany, Piedmont, and Napa Valley, Mattia envisioned bringing that same immersive wine-country hospitality back to Modena—but centered entirely around the time-honored craft and storytelling of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar.
[5:45] At Opera|02, Mattia honors his family's wisdom by preserving the exact recipes and processes his great-grandmother began—proving that tradition and innovation aren't opposing forces, but rather two sides of the same story.
[8:00] Leaving the roar of Motor Valley's Ferraris and Maseratis behind, guests wind up into the vineyard-lined hills to discover Opera|02—where the noise fades into silence, and the only thing that changes with each season is the view from your terrace.
[9:50] From sunrise in the vineyards to sunset in the acetaia, a day at Opera|02 is an invitation to taste, touch, and witness the slow alchemy that turns grapes into legacy.
[11:05] Each of the eight suites is a love letter to the land—named Grappa, Nocino, Prugna, Aceto, Saba, Duroni, Vino, Miele—where the colors and textures of each room mirror the very products that made Mattia’s family name.
[13:40] In the acetaia, each family member has their own barrel aging in the darkness—a tangible thread connecting Mattia to his brother, his parents, his grandparents—a tradition that asks, what legacy are you building that will outlive you?
[14:55] At the Bistrot, every plate holds seasonal ingredients within zero kilometers and is touched by aged balsamic—telling you exactly who Mattia's family is and what this corner of Emilia tastes like.
[16:30] Opera|02 invites guests into vineyard picnics with baskets of local cheese and bread, intimate dinners among three hundred barrels of aging balsamic, wine tastings that change with the seasons, and Lambrusco served in a can—proving that tradition doesn't mean stuffy.
