lambrusco

Take Lambrusco as an example, they do have (or had?) a bad reputation and suffer for it.

Made in Italy in Modena or broader Emilia region, using Lambrusco or Trebbiano grapes, aged at least 12 years, etc.

For example, I could very easily mistake a red lambrusco for a white champagne - they taste pretty similar.

I was invited to a party in Tuscany and they served a lot of Lambrusco amabile and for the children they diluted it and because Lambrusco amabile is rather sweet it was a little bit an oldfashioned soft drink.

Sidenote: While I had half of Sundays off and free access to a table on the slow hours (along with anything on the menu and maybe a bottle of lambrusco or prosecco on a good week) when I was in Italy, the truth is I would peddle my bike to the nona's house to eat for like 4-5 hours with a nap which had those generous portions you are mentioning.

This designation in the context of balsamic vinegar involves specific grapes from specific regions, but the most important characteristic in the usage of the word real in this context is that there is only a single ingredient: > True [traditional] balsamic vinegar is made from a reduction of pressed Trebbiano and Lambrusco grapes.

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.

However, after a few months I got invited to what can be best described as an underground Farmer's Market to Industry only guests that moves around people's farms/properties where they sell their products, be it Aceto, or Parmigiano, Culatello, Lambrusco etc...

But it's not "worse"; it has it's place and people much prefer Lambrusco in certain contexts.

Take for example a Lambrusco: it's an inherently "cheap" wine type, despite being DOC, largely due to being young and made from high-yield grapes.