Drink a good Lambrusco before you die! Why?
Great people like Luciano Pavarotti, Enzo Ferrari, and Giorgi Armani were just about suckled on the stuff. Plus, drinking a good proper Lambrusco with a charcuterie platter is one of life's heavenly yet simple pleasures.
Lambrusco DOC - a fizzy red wine. Not a style you see much of, which is a great shame because it can be delicious - especially with food. Drinking a good proper Lambrusco with some choice cold meats and a cheese spread is something everyone should do at least once in their lives and ideally on a regular basis.
Lambrusco hails from the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy and is an ideal companion to the fatty, pork-based diets common in this part of the country. The wine’s firm acidity and invigorating bitter twist on the finish helps leave the palate feeling refreshed after a mouthful of fat rich food.
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| Charcuterie platter - perfect with a glass or three of Lambrusco DOC | © KCULP / stock.adobe.com |
Emilia-Romagna is far from a one-trick pony. If anything, it is an chronic, yet humble, overachiever. At one extreme, it has given us the amazing, awe-inspiring luxury machines of Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, and Ducati. At the other, it has given us delicious, simple dietary staples like Parmesan cheese, Prosciutto ham, Balsamic vinegar, and Bolognese sauce.
The region is also home to the oldest continually operating university in the world – the University of Bologna, founded in 1088. It has produced plenty of pioneering, boundary-pushing people like Luciano Pavarotti, Enzo Ferrari, Federico Fellini, and Giorgio Armani. All these great people would have regularly imbibed Lambrusco to wash down the gastronomic delights of their region.
You might not be able to sing like Pavarotti, have the vision of Ferrari, make a film like Fellini, or have the refinement of Armani, but you can eat and drink like them (but maybe not to the extent of Pavarotti).
Now, don't just rush out and buy any old bottle of Lambrusco. Because there are Lambruscos and there are Lambruscos. More specifically there are Lambrusco IGTs (avoid) and Lambrusco DOCs (go for it). DOC, if you are unfamiliar with the acronym, stands for Denomination of Controlled Origin (or denominazione di origine controllata in Italian) and ensures that where and how this wine is made is tightly controlled to achieve a certain level of quality and style.
IGT on the other hand, which means Typical Geographical Indication (or Indicazione Geografica Tipica in Italian), has much, much less regulation controlling the style and quality of the wine and often allows a percentage of non-Lambrusco varieties to be included. As such, while there are some really good Lambrusco IGTs out there, it is nearly always cheap, generally sweet, often white, and mostly low in alcohol. And it is generally lacking the qualities that make proper Lambrusco such a superb drink to consume with those lovely fat laden foods.
In the 70s and 80s, export markets, especially the USA, were flooded with this cheap, simple style of Lambrusco. Primarily by behemoth producer Riunite that heavily promoted its sweet, fizzy, Lambrusco wine with catchy marketing slogans – most famously, Riunite on ice, that’s nice! While it was a hit for a decade or so this oversaturation led to consumers feeling tired, fatigued and hungover. A feeling that is still being felt today in some corners of the market – and, to the detriment of high-quality DOC Lambrusco.
The localsin Emilia-Romagna, however, still adore this wine. For many, it is part of their daily consumption – drinking it with meals or as an aperitivo, or both. And it’s obligatory at the weekly Sunday lunch with the family, social outings, festivals and celebrations. With all this local consumption of Lambrusco DOC there’s not a great deal left to export, especially compared to other classic Italian wines, so good bottles can be hard to find in some markets.
There are 8 Lambrusco DOCs in total. But the three you’re most likely to find outside Emilio-Romagna are: Lambrusco Reggiano DOC, Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC, and Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC.
Of these, Lambrusco Reggiano DOC is the most common. It's an approachable and easy-drinking wine, often made in semi-sweet and sweet styles or amible and dolce in Italian, respectively. Which style is usually indicated on the label. The wine is characterized by its dark ruby red color, ripe red fruit aromas (such as plum and strawberry), medium-body, soft tannins, and gentle acidity.
Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC is generally considered the highest quality of the Lambruscos DOCs and noted for its light color, floral violet perfume, bright refreshing acidity, and vibrant red berry flavors. The wine is usually dry or off-dry in style which is often (but not always) noted on the label in Italian as secco or semisecco respectively. These Lambruscos are mostly suited to being drunk young and slightly chilled making it a great aperitif or accompaniment to lighter dishes. But, saying that, thanks to its backbone of crisp acid and slightly bitter finish it does a great job alongside a plate of pork rind and beans, yum!
In contast, Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro is the darkest, fullest bodied, most alcoholic, and most tannic of the Lambrusco DOCs (and is closest to the Sparkling Shiraz wines of Australia). With its intense black cherry and dark berry aromas and rich fruity palate, this bold structured wine, often made with a hint of sweetness, is well suited to hearty dishes, such as lasagna and Bolognese, and aged cheese, especially aged Parmigiano Reggiano drizzled with aged balsamic vinegar. Being Australian bred, I’m quite partial to it the morning after with a cold sausage sandwich!
Autumn in a Lambrusco Grasparossa Vineyard on the hills of Castelvetro di Modena |
© nimu1956 / iStock.comWhile for many outside Italy a good quality Lambrusco DOC may not be easy to find, it’s definitely worth pursuing. This wine can elevate a meal to the next level. Interest in authentic DOC Lambrusco is growing as more and more people discover its bubbly deliciousness. Let’s keep this trend going so the selection of Lambruscos continues to grow in our local wine stores.
