Lambrusco

What is Lambrusco? Where is it produced? What does it taste like? Is it any good?

Lambrusco is produced in the region of Emilia-Romagna in Northern Italy, including the provinces of Modena, Parma, Reggio Emilia, and Mantua. It is produced in the Charmat/Tank Method, using grapes such as Grasparossa, Maestri, Marani, Montericco, Salamino, Sorbara and Ancellotta, which are indigenous to Emilia-Romagna.

Modena is the most famous province associated with Lambrusco, as Modena is known not just for good quality sparkling wines, it has meats and cheese to back it up, along with some pretty decent tourism. The cheese is Parmigiano Reggiano and the cured Ham is Prosciutto di Parma.

I have had the chance to Discover Lambrusco in Emilia-Romagna, a couple of times, staying at a hotel in Modena and visiting some of the wineries, meeting the winemakers and teams behind it all and getting the chance to taste an incredible array of labels.

Lambrusco is most known as a Red Sparkling Wine, but it also produces Rosé and White Sparkling Wines.

Lambrusco has a history, one that everyone would rather forget. Lambrusco was a popular wine in the UK, but during the 70s and 80s, Lambrusco’s reputation suffered due to the perception of it’s wine being of low quality and the surge of cheap, sweet versions during that time, it also had to compete with the emergence of the Lambrini brand, which further tarnished the image of the wine.

The Conzortio for Lambrusco are slowly building back up it’s brand image, the quailty is there, but it has a golden marketing angle for here in the UK which it isn’t quite working on, the angel that’s mostly pushed is of the excelence of Modena products, including Lambrusco, Cheese and Cured Hams. (It pairs perfectly with Italian Pizza)

When you look at things in a simpler light, Red Lambrusco is perfect in so many ways for the UK market. How many people have had the opportunity to taste Red Sparkling Wine? Not many, it’s becoming more popular now in the UK, with English producers having a label to share, but look to the two most famous names consummers know, Champagne and Prosecco, and neither of them are allowed to produce a Red Sparkling Wine, so it leaves a door wide open for the likes of Lambrusco to carve out a big peice of that market and become the known name for Red Sparkling Wine here in the UK.

The best from Lambrusco is the Red; the whites and Rosés are not that different from any other region. However, Lambrusco’s Reds are what make it stand out.

One of Glass of Bubbly’s writers, Peter Birmingham, wrote about his experience with Three Modern Lambruscos from an American perspective. You can also explore Glass of Bubbly writer Stefania Ruffo’s exploration into Lambrusco, the Sparkling Red of a Land in Tune.

Check out how Lambrusco fared against some of Italy’s Finest in The Godfather – An Italian Showdown