Acetaia Castelli

Rio Saliceto is a small village of around 6,000 citizens in the province of Reggio Emilia, almost at the border with the province of Modena. It obtained its own autonomy and independence from the district of Correggio in 1860; the name “Rio” comes from the river that crosses the village to lead into the river Secchia, that divides Reggio Emilia from Modena, to which it has been added “Saliceto” for a lot of lacustrine willows in this zone. It is an area particularly suitable for the production of vinegar for hot and arid summers that create the best conditions for the acetic oxidation process, for the evaporation and therefore for the product concentration. The cold of the winter, if anything, facilitates sedimentation and decantation that are responsible for the clarity of the products. Acetaia Castelli bears the name of the road that it is located, a very old street, that was in the past the center of the village. In this area, the first houses were built in stonework with two floors. In this farmhouse, great-grandfather Giuseppe was the first who had the insight to produce these products beyond  personal use. The good partnership of his wife, Modesta, who was responsible for the filling of the bottles, was of great importance as the business moved forward. Today, the 4th generation, Andrea Iotti and his family, have continued the traditions and philosophy of this business while continuing to explore ways to keep Acetaia Castelli at the forefront of balsamic vinegar production today. The Acetaia Castelli line of products are naturally obtained only by grapes of the wine varieties Lambrusco, Trebbiano, and Ancellotta.