Easily say wealth and complexity?

Balsamic Vinegar of Modena (ABM) is produced in a wide range of blends that differ in sensory and analytical characteristics. Under the same name we find products that have different flavors, perfumes and densities: from the most tangy and decisive to the sweet and soft, from light and fluid to rich and velvety. This diversity is also found in prices.
Faced with this richness, the consumer can be disoriented and struggle to identify the desired product that, that corresponds to their taste and intention of use: seasoning for fresh vegetables, ingredient in elaborate recipes, a raw combination with other dishes or gourmet “final touch” of first and second courses or desserts.
Market research has highlighted this problem and identified the main critical points on which to work to offer a tool capable of responding to some basic needs:

• a unique, clear and immediate information system;
• essential indications on the taste and structure of the product;
• the presence of a third party who acts as the “guarantor” of the system

A unique system, shared and guaranteed by the Consortium of Protection.

With the aim of providing the consumer with an effective tool to identify the main organoleptic characteristics of the product on the shelf, the Consortium for the Protection of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena has created the “Consortium Profile” brand:  a logo that through graphic and descriptive elements is able to provide a simple and immediate sensory profile useful to guide the consumer’s choice and avoid the frustration of buying blindly.

The Consortium supervises in order to guarantee the consumer compliance with the rules and correct communication. Its role guarantees third-parties reliability and authority. Given the importance to the consumer of this element, it was decided to insert the reference to the Consortium in the very name of the “Consortium Profile” system and to show, at the heart of the brand, the consortium logo built around the acronym ABM.

The goal is to describe in a nutshell the experience of taste.

The sensory profile of the product is described using a mark containing three sensory indicators accompanied by graphic elements that allow a dynamic and immediate reading.

• The indication of tactile perception of the “body“, an index of structure, texture, sphericity and density of the product is perceptible as an overall sensory experience;
• The use of the words “tangy” and “sweet” to describe the taste at the two extreme poles of a  chain composed of 5 levels that graphically indicate the prevalence of one over the other and therefore the greater or lesser freshness and pungency of the product or its greater or lesser sweet and softness tendency;
• these descriptors are graphically represented through the use of two counterclockwise oriented arrows and a chain consisting of five circular progressive-filled seals.

A classification, not a ranking.

The system is based on the division of the entire production range of the ABM into five classes on the basis of certified analytical data relating to the density of the final product and the amount of total and reduced dry extracts. Its purpose is to highlight the main organoleptic characteristics of the individual products to encourage an informed and conscious purchase and facilitate the choice of the product that best corresponds to the consumer’s needs for use.
Attached (Annex 1 – Classification parameters) is the table containing  data from the five identified segments.

An immediate, simple and essential communication code.

The color of the brand is burgundy and was chosen because it takes up the color of the Consortium’s brand, that of the product and the wine making tradition of the territory. Burgundy is the colour of the ceralacca with which, historically, the documents were signed, symbol of the imprimatur of tradition, reliability and guarantee. For organizational needs, the possibility of using a black and white version of the same brand has been provided for only totally black and white labels.
For the product certified as “aged” and which therefore, as described by the product specifications, has remained in barrels for over 3 years, it is possible to integrate the mark by inserting the relative wording at the bottom in a space reserved for this.

The joint reading of the graphic and descriptive features contained in the mark provides the consumer with an initial description of the main characteristics of the product and in particular an immediate understanding of the level of consistency of the “body” (light, medium, full) and therefore of the density and roundness of the product, its tendency to a more “tangy” or more “sweet” taste profile and the consequent greater hardness or softness of the mouthfeel and back notes upon tasting.

Each of the five categories corresponds to a particular and detailed sensory profile that can be described using diverse patterns and scents. Attached (Annex 2 – Sensory profiles) are some data sheets that provide sensory analysis tools able to illustrate in detail the organoleptic characteristics corresponding to the different segments.

Accompanying the consumer in an experience of full satisfaction.

The ultimate purpose of the “Consortium Profile” system is to respond to some of the basic questions that the consumer poses when buying a Balsamic Vinegar of Modena and thus satisfy their main need: to be able to orient themselves towards a product that corresponds to their needs, desires and tastes.

The use of the “Consortium Profile” brand in product labeling will help to avoid experiences of confusion, frustration of expectations and disappointment ensuring that full satisfaction accompanies every successful purchase and the feeling of greater mastery of information and awareness of this precious product.

Frequently asked questions.

This Annex (Annex 3 – FAQ) contains frequently asked questions and their answers. You have a question to ask us, but you couldn’t find the answer you were looking for? Fill out the form you find at this link.