Introduction to Lambrusco
Lambrusco is Emilia-Romagna's fizzy red. This guide covers its grapes and DOCs, dry vs. sweet labels, the best bottles and what to eat with it.
Lambrusco is one of Italy's most misunderstood wines. For decades, the world knew it as the cheap, sugary, semi-sweet wine that flooded export markets in the 1970s and 1980s. That era is over. Today's best Lambrusco is dry and serious: a sparkling red that is one of Italy's most food-friendly wines.
Real Lambrusco is dry, tangy, lively and deep in color. It is the wine of Emilia-Romagna, one of Italy's great food regions. In Bologna, Modena, Parma and Reggio Emilia, it is poured freely with tortellini in brodo, tagliatelle al ragù, mortadella and Parmigiano-Reggiano. It is a wine without airs: humble in origin and endlessly enjoyable.
Lambrusco is not one grape. It is a family of closely related grapes, each with its own DOC and character:
Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC is widely seen as the finest Lambrusco. The Sorbara grape has smaller berries, thinner skins and more natural acidity than the others. Its wines are pale pink-red, almost like a rosé, with a delicate pink foam. They taste of violets, sour cherry, raspberry and citrus. They are light, elegant and bone dry, a world away from the sweet Lambrusco of old.
Grasparossa di Castelvetro means "red stalk". It makes darker, bolder and more tannic Lambrusco than Sorbara. The wines are deep ruby-purple, with more body and flavors of dark cherry, blackberry and violet. They stand up well to the richer meat dishes of Emilia.
Salamino is named for its bunch, which is shaped like a small salami. In style it sits between the elegance of Sorbara and the power of Grasparossa. Its wines are medium-bodied and fruity, with cherry and floral notes and moderate tannins.
Lambrusco Reggiano comes from the province of Reggio Emilia. It is the largest Lambrusco DOC by volume. Quality has improved a lot in recent years, and you can find both dry and off-dry styles. This is where many of Italy's best-value everyday Lambruscos come from.
Lambrusco comes in different levels of sweetness, so it pays to read the label:
For food, always choose Secco. Dry Lambrusco is the true local style and the most interesting at the table.
Unlike Franciacorta DOCG, and like Prosecco DOC, most Lambrusco is made by the Charmat method. The second fermentation takes place in a sealed tank (autoclave). The older way is the ancestrale method, where the wine finishes fermenting in the bottle. Both keep the fresh fruit flavors and give soft, gentle bubbles. This is the "frizzante" (lightly sparkling) style, not the strong fizz of fully sparkling wine.
The best traditional producers use refermentation in the bottle ("rifermentazione in bottiglia") or a longer tank method (Charmat Lungo) for more complexity. The result is a lively wine that is a joy with food.
Lambrusco goes with almost anything. Its bubbles, acidity, red fruit and light tannins make it one of Italy's most food-friendly wines:
Emilia-Romagna may be Italy's greatest food region. In Bologna (nicknamed "La Grassa", the Fat One), Modena, Parma and Reggio Emilia, eating is a serious art. Lambrusco is the local wine because it cuts through the rich, fatty, pork-heavy food of the Po Valley. No wine in Italy is better matched to its local food.
Learn more about the food and wine of Emilia-Romagna, from Lambrusco to the aged balsamic vinegar of Modena.
Production rules and official information from the consortia of the wines in this guide: