Lambrusco

Lambrusco is the name of both an Italian red wine grape and a wine made principally from the grape.

To learn more about this grape – read on.  To find wines made with this grape, scroll down to the bottom.

The grapes and the wine originate from four zones in Emilia-Romagna and one in Lombardy, principally around the central provinces of Modena, Parma, Reggio-Emilia, and Mantua.

The grape has a long winemaking history with archaeological evidence indicating that the Etruscans cultivated the vine.  In Roman times, the grape was highly valued for its productivity and high yields with Cato this Elder stating that produce of two thirds of an acre could make enough wine to fill 300 amphoras.

The most highly rated of its wines are the frothy, frizzante (slightly sparkling) red wines that are designed to be drunk young from one of the eight Lambrusco denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) regions: Colli di Parma Lambrusco, Grasparossa di Castelvetro, di Sorbara, Salamino di Santa Croce, Reggiano, Colli di Scandiano e Canossa, Modena Lambrusco, and Lambrusco Mantovano.

Today, there are various levels of dryness / sweetness, including secco (bone dry / dry), amabile (off-dry / sweet) and dolce (very sweet).

Sweet Lambrusco became hugely popular in the United States in the late 1970s-1980s, reaching a high of over 13 million cases exported to the country in 1985.

The wine is noted for high acidity and berry flavors. Many of the wines now exported to the United States include a blend of Lambruscos from the different DOCs and are sold under the Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) designation Emilia.

The wine is rarely made in a “champagne” (metodo classico) style. It is typically made using the Charmat process where a second fermentation is conducted in a pressurised tank.