The Next Big Thing... Lambrusco!

5/3/12 -

In wine – as with much in life - the next big thing is often the same big thing as in years past. Sherry, Rose, and Riesling are periodically trotted-out by the press to remind us that we’re missing something special; previously seen as overly sweet and passé, they are gradually finding wider appreciation. Our candidate for rehabilitation is Lambrusco, known to most of us as a sort of “Frankenstein Wine,” where co-operatives make the wine in industrial quantities.  The addition of up-to 15% of rich, dark, and syrupy must of Ancellotta grapes is par for the course.  In order to protect the resulting wine, heavy amounts of sulfur are used, along with sterile filtration and pasteurization; producers also filter color and tannin from the wines to make whites from the Lambrusco varieties.  These soda-sweet wines are destined for large glasses with ice, and are not a fair representation of the region.

Americans are demanding better and more traditional wines from Europe, so why should we have to be content to drink bubble-gum-flavored Lambrusco pumped up with sugar and additives?  The good news is that we don’t.  There are still a handful of producers in Emilia-Romagna making exciting sparkling wines from indigenous grape varieties that offer complexity and a lot of drinking pleasure.   Real Lambrusco is born out of the necessity of having wine to pair with rich charcuterie like Mortadella, and the rich egg-based pastas of the region.  These wines are seldom sweet, and should have a refreshing acidity.  Some are light and easy to drink, while others have a deep color and earthy tannins.  Lambrusco ranges from lightly effervescent to full-on bubbly, and the more artisanal varieties re-ferment naturally in the bottle.  As spring arrives, these will be great for anything from sunny picnics to any kind of barbeque.