Lambrusco is Back in Fashion!

There are already growing predictions that sparkling red wine could be the next alternative wine craze.

Australia is a great choice, with quality sparkling shiraz production growing rapidly.

However, we shouldn’t overlook Lambrusco. This sparkling red wine was once popular in the 70s and 80s before falling out of fashion, but appears to be regaining popularity thanks to improved quality grapes.

Lambrusco hails from the beautiful northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, known for its fantastic culture, wine and food. It’s no wonder it is rated as one of the places with the highest quality of life in the country.

Dry sparkling Lambrusco pairs amazingly with traditional Italian food from this region; homemade pasta dishes such as tortellini and lasagna, parmesan cheese and Prosciutto ham. A great match to warm up on these cold winter evenings.

The fizz level of Lambrusco has a wonderful balance, more bubbly than Frizzante (slightly sparkling) but less than Champagne.

So, where to start if you want to try some of this Italian bubbly?

There are a variety of styles, from dry (Secco) to sweet (Dulce). The taste can range from light, red-berries flavours – more towards the sweet ‘light’ styles – all the way to dark, blueberry flavours – the ‘bold’ Lambrusco. For a fuller more mature wine, go for a dry version.

With sparkling red coming back into fashion, you can expect Lambrusco to be fairly easy to find at good value. Grab a bottle of Lambrusco Pruno Nero Dry at Waitrose for just £10.99. M&S sell a case of 6 for just £54 (£9 per bottle).