I love presenting wines to people that they just don’t expect and Lambrusco is one of them. Whilst this wine from Emilia-Romagna region of Central Italy got a bad name in some countries in the 1980s due to the large amount of pop-like wines that flooded the market (US, UK, and Germany for sure), countries that didn’t see that, and sommeliers who are just too young to remember it, are turning to Lambrusco thanks to it’s low-alcohol, freshness and great food-pairing ability.
If you’ve not had Lambrusco for years, it’s worth picking up a bottle and this is why:
Here are a few things you need to know when buying a Lambrusco:
1) Lambrusco is a family of grapes, not a style of wine. There are over a dozen Lambrusco varieties that exist but only four of them are widely grown and they are only grown in this part of Italy. Nowhere else in the world. The Lambrusco Salamino, Grasparossa and Marani give dark purple wines whereas the Lambrusco di Sorbara makes raspberry-red wines that are fast becoming the coolest thing to be seen on the summer terraces.
2) Lambrusco can be made in 3 ways. The most common is the Charmat or Martinotti method where the second fermentation (to get the bubbles into the wine) is made in big autoclaves. After that there is a small amount of wine produced in the Traditional or Champenoise method where the second fermentation happens in the bottle, the wines are then “riddled” so that the yeast collects in the neck of the bottle, and then “disgorged”. There is only a tiny percentage of Lambrusco which is made in this way. The third method is “Metodo Ancestrale”, literally the old method, aka Pét-Nat (coming from the French pétillant naturel). This is where the wine is bottled before it has finished its first fermentation. The yeast is left in the wine so the wines are cloudy, unfiltered, fizzy, slightly sweet, rustic and lively.
3) Lambrusco can be either a DOC or an IGT wine. DOC wines have lower yields per hectare and more stringent controls on how the wines are made. Always go for a DOC wine and always go for a “Secco”. Anything else will be sweet, great for cake, but probably not want you’re looking for to pair with your pasta….
4) Lambrusco pairs well with many types of food but it finds it’s perfect partner with the local deli meats of Emilia-Romagna – think prosciutto crudo, salame, not to mention parmiggiano reggiano cheese. The key feature of Lambrusco is the high acidity, which is comparable to Champagne and hey, what can’t we drink champagne with? Exactly..
How much should I be paying for a bottle of Lambrusco?
Lambrusco will never be an expensive wine. The vines produce a huge quantity of grapes and the production process is relatively short and inexpensive so Lambrusco will never be a stretch on your pocket however there are still a fair amount of cheap, sweet wines on the market so make sure you’re paying over 8 euro a bottle and avoid the bottom shelf…
Which producers should I look out for?
There are a number of producers who regularly take the top awards in the Italian wine media, these include : Medici Ermete, Cleto Chiarli, Cantine di Carpi e Sorbara, Alberto Paltrinieri and Zucchi. I hosted two wine tastings for producers of Lambrusco wines in Munich some years ago and it was amazing to see just how surprised people were at both the quality and variety of the Lambruscos that were there to try.
My top tip : look out for the Lambrusco di Sorbara style of wines, these are lighter in colour and drier than most making the perfect aperitif. Impress friends by serving them one and asking what they think it is and how much it would cost – I’d bet no-one would guess it’s a Lambrusco 😉
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