Rethink Lambrusco

Rethink Lambrusco,

the wine with the world's worst reputation.

"Whereas Los Angeles was the launch pad for Prosecco, the Italian sparkling white..., New York is home to the growing red Lambrusco revival."
--- The Camden Journal, August 21st, 2008

The Oxford Companion to Wine
by Jancis Robinson

Tweet by Jancis Robinson:
"@JancisRobinson @LambruscoDay Go on...! :) (my first ever use of that symbol)"

1994

"Emilia-Romagna,

Italian wine region which stretches across north central Italy from the eastern Adriatic coast to include vast tracts of inland Emilia in the west, which is quite distinct from coastal Romagna in the east...

Quantities, however, is in inverse proportion to quality in the case of Emilia-Romagna: only 15 per cent of the region's total output is DOC wine, an many of the DOC wines - Trebbiano di Romagna, and Emilia's Lambrusco in particular - are hardly names to conjure with, falling more into the quaffing than the quality category. The region's inhabitants seem content to view wine merely as lubrication for their copious repasts and, at least in Emilia, are firm believers in the diuretic qualities of sparkling wine, both white and red; not only Lambrusco, but also the local Malvasia, Barbera, Bonarda, and the non-varietal Gutturnio are as likely as not to be served foaming in the glass rather than as still wines..."

- The Oxford Companion to Wine by Jancis Robinson (1994, 1996, 2006)

"Lambrusco,

central Italian varietal wine based on the eponymous red grape variety, enormously popular with the mass market in the US and northern Europe in the early 1980s.The several different vines called Lambrusco are grown principally in the three central provinces of Emilia - Modena, Parma, and Reggio nell'Emilia - although significant plantings can be found across the river Po in the province of Mantova, and occasional plantings can be found as far afield as Piemonte, Trentino, and even Basilicata. This robust variety, of which there are at least 60 known subvarieties, has long been known for its exceptional productivity, and Cato described it as trecenarie by virtue of the 300 Amphorae that each jugero (two-thirds of an acre) yielded.

Modern Lambrusco, a frothing, fruity, typically red wine meant to be drunk young, is produced principally by the co-operatives of Emilia in four separate DOCS: Lambrusco di Sorbara (from the varieties Lambrusco di Sorbara and, the most planted Lambrusco Salamino); Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro (85% per cent of which must come from the variety of the same name); Lambrusco Reggiano (produced principally from Lambrusco Marani and Lambrusco Salamino, with Lambrusco Maestri and Lambrusco Montericco permitted although they are gradually disappearing); and Lambrusco Salamino di Sana Croce (which should include 90 per cent of the synonymous variety whose small bunches are thought to resemble a 'small salami'). The Lambrusco Grasparossa, Sorbara, and Salamino tend to be dry or off-dry wines with pronounced acidity, which, together with its bubbles, are reputed to assist the digestion of Emilia's hearty cuisine.

Lambrusco Reggiano, on the other hand, tends to be amabile or slightly sweet, the sweetness generally being supplied by the partially fermented must of the Ancellotta grape, which DOC rules permit (up to a maximum of 15 per cent) in the blend. (It is notable that, according to the Italian agricultural census of 1990, total plantings of Ancellotta were 4,700 ha / 11, 600 acres, more than of any single Lambrusco subvariety, a reflection of producers' desire to add colour from the deep-tinted Ancellotta grape to their Lambrusco grapes.) This is the wine that took America by storm in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when the Cantine Riunite of Reggio nell'Emilia, a consortium of co-operatives, succeeded in exporting up to 3 million cases per year to the United States. So successful has Lambrusco been on export markets that special white, pink, and light (low-alcohol) versions have perversely been created, the colour and alcohol often being deliberately removed.

Most Lambrusco made today is a fairly anonymous, standardized product made in industrial quantities by co-operatives or large commercial wineries using the Charmat or bulk method of sparkling wine-making, together with heavy filtration, stabilization, and, frequently, pasteurization. 'Proper' Lambrusco, whose secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle, has become something of a relic of the past, although occasional artisan Lambrusco of this type can be found in the production zone themselves. The distinctive qualities of the different clones and different zones have tended to disappear with large quantities and industrial techniques but, in theory, Lambrusco Grasparossa is the fullest and most alcoholic and Lambrusco di Sorbara, in its combination of balanced fruit and acidity, is precisely that classic accompaniment to Emilian egg pasta and charcuterie which made the name of the wine. Although it is still possible to find good bottles of Lambrusco from small producers in the various DOC zones, conferring a generalized superiority on a given zone or a given type would be a risky business indeed in current circumstances. Lambrusco Reggiano, with an annual production of about 250,000 hl / 6.6 million gal, is the most common, followed by Lambrusco di Sorbara with 115,00 hl, Lambrusco Grasparossa with 65,000 hl, and Lambrusco Salamino with 55,000 hl.

There are also several hundred hectares of a red grape variety known as Lambrusco Maesini in Argentina."

- The Oxford Companion to Wine by Jancis Robinson (1994, 1999, 2006)

"Ancellotta,

Italian red wine grape valued for its deep colour as a blending ingredient, up to 15 per cent, in Lambrusco. It is also widely used throughout central and northern Italy to add colour to wines deemed too pallid for today's market. Impressive varietal versions are not unknown. According to the Italian vineyard census of 1990, Emilia Romagna had 4,700 ha / 11,750 acres of planted, more than of any subvariety of Lambrusco."

- The Oxford Companion to Wine by Jancis Robinson (1994, 1999, 2006

Outdated and false Lambrusco information continues to be published online as recently as 10/2012 (loveourlambrusco.com).

2010

The region of Emilia Romagna has been "un-hyphenated". The Romagnoli were able to convince Italian courts that Emilia's and Romagna's history and culture are distinctly different from each other and that this fact should be "communicated" to the world.

Gambero Rosso's first 'Tre Bicchieri' for Lambrusco were handed out in the 2010 guide. It marks the end of Gambero Rosso's 'grape discrimination'.

Non-sparkling Gutturnio is being exported now.

Updated (10/19/2012): "Parma plantings have all but disappeared to make room for the production of more Parmigiano-Reggiano." Vineyards are being planted again in Parma.

Lambrusco is also made in Puglia.

There are at least 13 known indigenous Lambrusco grape varieties; not clones or subvarieties. (Most Lambruscos are made from these 6 autochthonous Lambrusco varieties: Salamino, Grasparossa, Marani, Maestri, Sorbara and Montericco.)

Truly artisanal Lambrusco (rifermentazione ancestrale) made by a top producer can age. As recently as September 2011, we were able to taste a bottle-refermented Lambrusco from the 2000 vintage. It was superb!

Today, there are 8-12 Lambrusco DOCS and 2 IGTS, including one just for Lambrusco Montericco.

See: Emilian Paradox

See: 'Real Lambrusco'

One of the top secco (dry) Lambruscos is a Lambrusco Reggiano!

New Lambrusco vineyards are being planted again.

2010: Total Lambrusco Exports ($) to the USA are up by 50% compared to 1994.

Though most Lambruscos continue to be made this way, it is not impossible to find 'proper' (bottle-fermented) Lambrusco in the USA today and quality 'charmat Lambruscos' are no longer really terribly hard to find: "Serious Eats Amateur Wine Taste-Along Report: Lambrusco"

See: Gambero Rosso's Top 2011 Lambrusco Producers.

We believe that Sorbara and Grasparossa di Castelvetro will become Lambrusco DOCGS in the very near future. We know of a few small producers that have started to produce varietal correct Lambruscos that not only show-off true varietal flavors but also the sub-zone's terroir. The first Lambrusco di Modena Spumante brut DOC has made it to the market.

Bodega Don Bosco is successfully producing a Lambrusco Maestri in Argentina.

You're buying 'sparkling Ancellotta' (50%-60%) if the label just indicates "Reggiano DOC Rosso". If it is Lambrusco it will say so - somewhere - on the bottle (Lambrusco IGT or Lambrusco DOC or Lambrusco DOP).

Impressive 100% Ancellottas:

Reading Lambrusco Labels