Sparkling wine Lambrusco – about the main thing in questions and answers

Exactly! Nothing but champagne is not. Lambrusco is an industrial grape variety used for the production of sparkling wines of the same name in the region of Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy (and partly in Lombardy). More precisely, it is a collective term for a whole group of grape varieties – today more than 60 sub-varieties of Lambrusco are known. Among other things, Lambrusco is a wine with a rich history, which was admired even in ancient Rome. At least a drink made from similar grapes was mentioned by Cato in his work De Agri Cultura, the world’s oldest printed manual on agriculture, published in 160 BC.

Region. Champagne can only be called sparkling wine that was made in the Champagne region. Lambrusco is a sparkling wine from the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna.

Grape sort. For the production of champagne, only three grape varieties are used: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Lambrusco, as we have already found out, is made from the variety of the same name, sometimes with the addition of Ancellotta grapes to correct the color of the drink. Lambrusco grapes do not grow in France.

Production method. Champagne is prepared according to the “classic champagne technology” (Metodo Classico, Méthode Champenoise), when the secondary fermentation of the wine takes place directly in the bottle. Modern Lambrusco is produced according to the Charmat method – secondary fermentation takes place in large steel tanks, which significantly reduces the cost of the drink. However, premium Lambrusco is also prepared according to Metodo Classico.

Color. Champagne is mostly light, very rarely has a pinkish tint. Lambrusco is famous for its bright ruby ​​color, but it can also be completely white, despite being made from red grapes.

Sweetness. Champagne is almost always dry, while most Lambrusco wines are semi-sweet and sweet.

Price. Due to the complex production technology, a bottle of entry-level champagne costs about $40, while a bottle of the cheapest Lambrusco can be bought for 3 euros.

While the Italians have not been able to achieve for their wine the international status of a name controlled by origin (apparently, all the forces have gone to prosecco), so Lambrusco can be prepared in other countries. Of course, there is a DOC Lambrusco category in Italy, which regulates the production of a drink within the country, but it does not guarantee that the purchased bottle will give you an excellent taste. In general, you will have to search, but there are a lot of criteria that affect the classification of Lambrusco.

First, this sparkling wine can be red, pink and even white. The color is regulated during the primary fermentation: the pigments in the skins color the must a bright ruby ​​color, but if the skins are removed earlier or not added at all, the wine will turn out to be lighter or even white. Sometimes a poor harvest results in a Lambrusco that is too light, even with prolonged skin contact, and then Ancellotta grapes are used, another variety approved for production in accordance with the Lambrusco DOC requirements.

Secondly, there is Lambrusco dry, semi-dry и sweet. There are versions completelyquiet“, that is, not carbonated, but there are slightly sparkling wines, which Italians traditionally call “freezer» (frizzante). There is also Lambruscospumante“(spumante), that is, a full-fledged sparkling wine, in which there are no less bubbles than in champagne. But all this classification is superficial and obvious. The best Lambrusco is made from sub-varieties of grapes that have been awarded their own DOC (some are tied to a specific sub-varietal, some only to the region), namely: Lambrusco di Sorbara , Lambrusco Grasparossa from Castelvetro, Lambrusco Salamino from Santa Croce и Reggiano. Wine from any of these appellations must be made from at least 85% Lambrusco grapes. The remaining 15% usually remains with Ancellotta.

Lambrusco di Sorbara

Sorbara DOC is located north of Modena, near the village of Sorbara. The Sorbara grape is considered the highest quality sub-variety of Lambrusco, from which wines are especially aromatic. Sorbar vines shed some of the flowers during flowering, which reduces the yield, but increases the aromatics of the berries. The wines of Lambrusco di Sorbara are light, delicate, floral and often light pink in color. The best versions are dry but have delicious sweet flavors of orange blossom, tangerine, cherry, violet and watermelon.

Lambrusco Grasparossa from Castelvetro

The wine is made from Lambrusco Grasparossa grapes, which are grown around the town of Castelvetro di Modena. Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro is a rich, bright purple color with a pronounced aroma of violets, strawberries, fresh plums and black cherries. These are the “fattest” and strongest subspecies of Lambrusco, highly enriched with tannin.

Lambrusco Salamino from Santa Croce

According to DOC Lambrusco requirements, Salamino wine must be made from at least 90% Lambrusco Salamino grapes, with the remaining 10% being Ancelotta and/or Brugnola. Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce is a dry or semi-sweet frizzante wine. The name Salamino di Santa Croce comes from the shape of the grapes – small, compact, cylindrical, they resemble the shape of salami. These wines have absorbed the amazing ethereal aroma of Sorbar and the deep color of Grasparos. From the latter, they also took a lot of tannin, which is often offset by residual sugar.

Reggiano

The most extensive production region of Lambrusco. Reggiano wines are a mixture of various Lambrusco sub-varieties: up to 15% Ancellotta, the remaining 85% Maestri, Marani, Monstericco and Salamino in any combination. Reggiano is known primarily for its sweet versions, which are so loved in the US and northern Europe. Sweet styles are usually done as frizzante (light pink, slightly carbonated), while dry styles are darker and richer. There are also white sparkling Reggiano wines where the must is fermented without the skins and stems.

There is also DOC Modena, which brings together almost all the styles of Lambrusco, as well as the young Lambrusco Mantovano (Lambrusco Mantovano) – the only DOC located outside of Emilia-Romagna, in Lombardy. Lambrusco is also grown and prepared in Australia and Argentina, where the grapes were brought by Italian immigrants.

Because, according to experts, a real Lambrusco boom is coming and prices for still budget sparkling wine can jump up a lot. Now these are modest initiatives to revive authentic wines, but in 5-10 years, producers can unite in a united front and arrange a real wine revolution on a local scale. Increasingly, Lambrusco, prepared according to the “classic champagne technology”, began to come across. The so-called “ancestral method” (Metodo Ancestrale) is gaining momentum, when the wort is fermented in vats to 10-11% alcohol, and then bottled, where it ferments for another couple of percent. This is a real craft, which today is at a great price. So do not miss the chance to try something worthwhile!

Why not advise. First of all, look for a Lambrusco that has the name of one of the DOCs described above on the label. As for specific instances, these are:

• Cavicchioli Vigna del Cristo Lambrusco di Sorbara 2014
• Villa di Corlo ‘Corleto’ Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro 2014
• Lambrusco Grasparossa Monovitigno Fattoria Moretto
• Cleto Chiarli Lambrusco Grasparossa of Castelvetro Pruno Nero
• Camillo Donati Lambrusco dell’Emilia PGI 2014
• Vineyard Saetti Lambrusco dell’Emilia PGI 2015
• Fattoria Moretto Morose Lambrusco Grasparossa

If you cannot find them, and finding them is not so easy, pay attention to Lambrusco from Medici Ermete, Vittorio Graziano, Fiorini and Monte delle Vigne, which are better represented in the CIS.