Balsamic vinegar is likely fake

It can absolutely be described as balsamic vinegar, though. Even the protected (PGI) name 'balsamic vinegar of Modena' is a blend with wine vinegar. Only the PDO term 'traditional balsamic vinegar' forbids this.

It's interesting to know that there's a special kind of balsamic vinegar that I've probably never tasted. But even if that's amazing, I still enjoy the balsamic vinegar I can get in the supermarket, and that's what almost everyone means when they say 'balsamic vinegar'. Insisting that almost everyone using the term is misusing it feels like a weird form of elitism.

If Francesco Aggazzotti, the person who invented the modern recipe for traditional balsamic vinegar, which is the basis for the PDO standard, is elitist regarding the proper way to make his family recipe traditional balsamic vinegar is a claim that could be made. I don’t know how you could say that he’s wrong to do so without tasting it, however. You’re dismissing the whole basis for the DPO standard out of hand.

> But even if that's amazing, I still enjoy the balsamic vinegar I can get in the supermarket, and that's what almost everyone means when they say 'balsamic vinegar'.

I’m not trying to yuck your yum, here. I like what you like, too. I’m arguing for truth in advertising and labeling, so that counterfeit, fake, and adulterated products are eliminated from the market. I think there should be a finer distinction between balsamic vinegars that are made to essentially no standard with added wine vinegar and a single and/or non-wooden barrel, and balsamic vinegars made in other regions and countries in a traditional-compatible production process: Trebbiano and Lambrusco grape musts aged in a battery of multiple wooden barrels for at least 12 years.

The Wikipedia page for traditional balsamic vinegar has a helpful chart that further explains the differences in the production process.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditional_balsamic_vinegar

I think the DPO TBV and BVM standards have been largely helpful for consumers, and I think that better labeling standards for the types of grapes and aging process in other countries would help. The market has selected for a variety of different price points consumers find palatable.

The point of TFA is that consumers really don't know what they’re missing when it comes to traditional balsamic vinegar. I happen to believe we could go a long way toward replicating the aspects that make traditional balsamic vinegar possess a unique flavor profile in other grape growth regions while retaining the same traditional production methods. The author of TFA seems somewhat skeptical on this due to their effusive praise of traditional balsamic vinegar, but I think if the real thing is so good, it’s at least worth trying. As someone who likes balsamic vinegar myself, I think we both could agree it’s at the very least worth trying traditional balsamic vinegar for ourselves so we know what the brouhaha is all about, and so we know whether or not the distinction has a difference to us, personally.

I think it’s okay to appreciate the finer things in life, and I don’t think that pointing out that finer things exist makes one elitist: it’s just a matter of perspective, preference, and taste. That’s my point, basically.

Not a reasonable interpretation.

Not traditional means only what it says.

> To me, it’s somewhat obvious that the author believes real balsamic vinegar exists and so too must fake exist of the same

To me its obvious that an editor added a clickbait title that fails to accord with the article content. Period.

You’re not responding to the strongest form of my argument here or to that of TFA in OP, as is encouraged by the HN Guidelines, instead opting for a dismissive, argumentative attitude which isn’t really helping your argument, to be honest.

I mean, you aren’t really making much of an argument, either, just authoritatively stating your opinions as fact with no actual factual basis or even any attempt to articulate your own views.

Anyone can be contrary, but to simply say “I disagree” or “you’re wrong” isn’t consistent with HN Guidelines either, so I’m not sure what you want me to do with your responses here.

It’s fine to have a difference of opinion or disagree regarding matters of fact, but you really owe it to yourself and to the other visitors to post better.

Period.

Please respond with your views on OP and my views on balsamic vinegar or I guess you can continue with your own form of argument. Honestly I’ll take nearly any kind of response showing some kind of effort, but this ain’t it.