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Fragolino is called “ladies” and “summer” – indeed, it is a sweet wine (only 7.5% alcohol) with a distinct strawberry-strawberry flavor. The paradox is that no foreign fruits are used in the production, just the Isabella grape variety (Vitis Labrusca) itself has a strawberry aftertaste. Some manufacturers enhance the effect with juice or syrup, but these additives are not included in the original recipe, if they are used, the label must indicate that this is a wine drink.
History of the variety
Most Fragolino wines are produced in the northeast of Italy. The name “Fragolino” itself comes from the Italian word fragola (strawberry) with a diminutive suffix, so that it can be loosely translated as “strawberry”. For production, the Vitis Labrusca variety is used, which was considered wild a hundred years ago. This variety has mutated and hybridized so many times that it is now almost impossible to trace its homeland, but most connoisseurs agree that the Labrusco grape came to Europe from the New World.
It is said that the grapes of this family were used in France for the production of Framboisier, and in the British Isles they made “fox wine” – an alcoholic drink with a characteristic tart smell. Now the Fragolino variety is used to produce not only fine (and at the same time quite affordable) wine, but also coarser and stronger drinks, such as grappa.
Ban on industrial production of Fragolino
It is almost impossible to buy real Fragolino wine or champagne in stores: the fact is that the industrial production of this delicious wine is prohibited in the EU in general, and Italy in particular. There are several versions of this decision of the authorities. The official one sounds like this: during the manufacturing process of Fragolino, methanol is released, and if its level exceeds the permissible norm, the drink will become poisonous.
Another reason is that vitis labrusca grapes are said to have contributed to the spread of the phylloxera epidemic in Europe, but this version does not stand up to scrutiny, since European vineyards fell ill much earlier than this variety was introduced to the market.
Finally, there is another reason: as mentioned above, this variety is most likely from America, and the European authorities do not want to promote the spread of “non-European” products.
There is even a very simple explanation: the Isabella variety produces delicious, fragrant and cheap wine, and French winemakers, on the one hand, are unprofitable for such competition, and on the other hand, it’s a shame that some American variety could outshine the famous French wines.
Be that as it may, drinking fragolino, as well as producing it for your own needs, is not prohibited, so in Italy you can find small farms where you will be treated to delicious strawberry wine. In addition, this drink is extremely popular in the Austrian Burgenland. In this small region, the authorities turn a blind eye to non-compliance with the ban – the locals are very fond of feasting on refreshing summer wine.
Fragolino in the store
Despite the ban, fragolino is still found on the shelves of European and Russian supermarkets, and this is not necessarily a cheap fake.
Italian winemakers slightly change the recipe by adding freshly squeezed strawberry juice to the pulp. The result is a drink that completely imitates the taste of the real Fragolino, but is not subject to the ban.
Sometimes on the labels they write not “wine”, but “wine drink”, and thus circumvent the law.
How to drink Fragolino
In total, there are three types of this wine on the market:
- Fragolino Rosso – sweet red wine;
- Fragolino Bianco – semi-sweet white;
- Fragolino sparkling wine – sparkling wine (analogous to champagne), it comes in both red and white.
Any kind of Fragolino goes well with desserts: fruit pies, meringues, cookies, raisins, prunes, peaches, apricots. When serving, the wine should be cooled to a temperature of +6-8°C.
Of the Fragolino producers, Duchessa Lia is especially well known.