Prosecco, the festive sparkling wine from the north of Italy, has been on the rise for years.\u00a0For the past six years, more prosecco than champagne was sold. Yet the wine makers in the hills between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene have not rested on their laurels. Traditional production methods like the fermentazione sui lieviti\u00a0<\/em>are rediscovered and for more sophisticated bottles the\u00a0metodo classico is\u00a0<\/em>chosen more and more often. In addition, forty-three\u00a0vineyards\u00a0<\/em>(\u201ccrus\u201d) have now been identified, and the designation of origin Prosecco DOC Ros\u00e9\u00a0<\/em>has been created.<\/p>\n Barely 200 kilometres to the south, the Po Valley produces a sparkling wine that is becoming increasingly popular. Lambrusco, like Prosecco, suffered from a poor image for a long time, but in the last few years it has been on the rise. Although its popularity cannot yet be compared to that of Prosecco, the most famous red sparkling wine in the world has at least as much potential. Especially the diversity is an important trump card: from\u00a0frizzante\u00a0<\/em>to\u00a0spumante\u00a0<\/em>and from very dry to slightly sweet. Not to mention the white and ros\u00e9 varieties.<\/p>\n Many people still think of lambrusco as the two-litre bottles on the bottom shelf of supermarkets, filled with a sweet bubbly wine that you can get drunk on the cheap. I too, bought these bottles in an enoteca\u00a0<\/em>with classmates during my high school trip to Rome in 1996 and then hung tipsy around the\u00a0Fontana dei quattro fiumi\u00a0<\/em>in Piazza Navona until the police came to sweep the square. \u2022 Lambrusco descends from wild vines The wines that bear the name \u201clambrusco\u201d are, as mentioned, produced in Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy. On the label, in addition to the general IGT Emilia, you can find nine DOCs. These designations of origin are all located between Modena and Parma in Emilia-Romagna and Mantova in Lombardy. Reggiano is the most generic DOC, Sorbara the most prominent. The remaining seven are Grasaparossa di Castelvetro, Modena, Salamino di Santa Croce, Mantovano, Colli di Parma, Colli di Scandiano e Canossa and Colli di Scandiano e di Canossa Montericco rosato. Since the 1970s, most Lambrusco<\/em> has been produced using the\u00a0metodo martinotti<\/em>\u00a0(or, as the French say,\u00a0m\u00e9thode charmat<\/em>). The\u00a0second fermentation does not take place in the bottle, but in a closed tank. This relatively cheap method is mainly used for export under the umbrella of IGT Emilia. Because Lambrusco can be used so widely in gastronomy, it is very interesting for specialist wine shops and sommeliers.Lambrusco, so much potential and diversity<\/h3>\n
Lambrusco and gastronomy<\/h3>\n
\nBut good lambrusco is a great aperitif and gastronomically versatile.\u00a0The\u00a0ros\u00e9 variety, for example, goes very well with the local\u00a0salumi\u00a0<\/em>such as\u00a0mortadella<\/em>,\u00a0prosciutto di Parma<\/em>,\u00a0coppa di Parma<\/em>,\u00a0salame Felino<\/em>,\u00a0culatello di Zibello\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0salame strolghino<\/em>. The combination with (matured)\u00a0Parmigiano Reggiano\u00a0<\/em>is also classic. The\u00a0red version\u00a0is an excellent accompaniment to stuffed pastas such as\u00a0tortellini in brodo<\/em>,\u00a0lasagna<\/em>,\u00a0zampone\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0bollito misto<\/em>. The refreshing cherry fruit, the pleasant acidity, the usually modest mousse and the unique pink foam head provide an invigorating contrast to the rich meats, cheeses and sauces.<\/p>\nLambrusco, grape variety or wine?<\/h3>\n
\n<\/strong>The confusing thing is that lambrusco is both the name of several related grape varieties and the wine made from them. There are\u00a0more than 60\u00a0known\u00a0varieties of lambrusco\u00a0throughout Italy, particularly in Piedmont and Emilia-Romagna. Lambrusco\u201d (the Etruscans spoke of \u201clambrusca\u201d) means something among \u201cwild grape\u201d and research confirms that the entire lambrusco family indeed descends from wild vines.
\n\u2022 Lambrusco di sorbara, the most noble variety
\n<\/strong>The prodigy of the family is the\u00a0lambrusco di sorbara<\/em>. It is the most noble variety, named after the village of the same name in Emilia-Romagna. It is mainly planted in the plains around the city of Modena, known for Ferrari and\u00a0aceto balsamico<\/em>. It is the main variety in Lambrusco di Surbara DOC and is also widely used in Lambrusco Mantovano DOC. The wines of this grape are often pink in colour, smell like ripe cherries and have a fresh acidity and not too much tannin.\u00a0Traditionally, they are drunk young as an aperitif, with or without cold cuts and cheeses.
\n\u2022 Lambrusco grasparossa, ideal with local dishes<\/strong>
\nLambrusco grasparossa<\/em>\u00a0grows on the slopes around the village of Castelvetro, just south of Modena. The wines of this variety are deep and dark in colour. They usually have\u00a0more tannin and a higher alcohol percentage. They are an excellent match with local dishes.
\n\u2022 Lambrusco viadanese, to be drunk on the spot<\/strong>
\nLambrusco viadanese\u00a0<\/em>is mainly planted around the fiddlers\u2019 town of Cremona and Mantova, the birthplace of Italian opera. Locally, it is also called\u00a0lambrusco grappello ruberti<\/em>.\u00a0It is widely used for Lambrusco Mantovana DOC, which is mainly drunk locally.
\n\u2022 Lambrusco maestri and lambrusco salamino<\/strong>
\nOther noteworthy relatives are\u00a0lambrusco maestri\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0lambrusco salamino<\/em>. The former gives a large yield and, at best, somewhat\u00a0rustic wines. The bunches of the latter somewhat resemble a sausage, hence its name. It is the most widely planted variety and gives the most\u00a0full-bodied and aromatic lambruscos. It is therefore often used in a blend, but also makes up at least 90% of a\u00a0Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce DOC<\/em>.<\/p>\nOrigin of the Lambrusco<\/h3>\n
\n\u2022 Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC <\/strong>must contain at least 60% lambrusco sorbara, supplemented by a maximum of 40% lambrusco salamino. Nowadays, some top producers use only sorbara. As said, this is an ideal aperitif wine.
\n\u2022 Lambrusco Grasparossa del Castelvetro DOC<\/strong> is the smallest designation of origin. The rules prescribe a minimum of 85% Lambrusco Grasparossa. The wines are darker in colour, with more tannins. For this reason, they are an excellent match with the local dishes.
\n\u2022 Lambrusco Mantovano DOC <\/strong>is the only lambrusco that does not come from Emilia-Romagna, but from Lombardy. Both lambrusco maestri, lambrusco marani and lambrusco salamino and lambrusco viadanese may be used. They are usually very good wines, but unfortunately they are mainly drunk locally and rarely exported.
\nLike most prosecco producers, many winemakers in Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy make several types of lambrusco. The variation is mainly in the production method.<\/p>\nProduction methods<\/h3>\n
\nIn 2010, Cantina della Volta\u2019s winemaker Christian Bellei was the first local winemaker to rediscover the metodo classico<\/em>. In recent years, more and more producers, with Paltrinieri as the driving force, have returned to the\u00a0metodo ancestrale<\/em>. This method results in a lightly sparkling wine with often some sediment.\u00a0The wine is bottled before all residual sugar has been fermented.\u00a0The fermentation continues in the bottle, where the released carbon dioxide cannot escape. No\u00a0dosage is\u00a0added. Whatever method is chosen, the current trend is towards\u00a0secco\u00a0(maximum 15 grams of residual sugar per litre of wine) rather than sweet.<\/p>\nDiscovering and tasting<\/h3>\n
\n\u2022 <\/strong>For example, it is advisable to include a Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC (aperitif) and a Lambrusco Grasparossa del Castelvetro DOC (meal accompaniment) in the assortment of one producer.
\n\u2022 <\/strong>Lambruscos made by the\u00a0metodo ancestrale\u00a0<\/em>are now in great demand worldwide among lovers of natural wines and\u00a0P\u00e9t-Nats<\/em>. Moreover, like many Italian wines, lambrusco meets the growing demand for indigenous grape varieties.
\n\u2022 <\/strong>A good place to get to know lambrusco better is Enoteca Lambruscheria in Modena, which has dozens of specimens on the menu.
\n\u2022 <\/strong>If budget allows, dinner can then be enjoyed at Massimo Bottura\u2019s\u00a0three-star restaurant Osteria Francescana. Bottura is a great lover of lambrusco and serves some fine examples.
\n\u2022 <\/strong>Interesting winemakers to visit next are\u00a0Christian\u00a0Bellei\u00a0of Cantina della Volta, as mentioned before, the one who rediscovered the metodo classico for lambrusco, and\u00a0Paltrinieri, pioneer of \u2018crus\u2019 and champion of the\u00a0metodo ancestrale<\/em>.
\n\u2022 <\/strong>Many winemakers, by the way, have a loft for their\u00a0aceto balsamico tradizionale di Modena DOP<\/em>, which is made from grape must and matured in small wooden barrels according to the solera system. It says a lot about the culinary richness of the region. That is also the challenge: you can go there, but how do you get back?<\/p>\n