Cheerfulness and elation in a bottle
A universe of emotions, terroirs and fragrances: Lambrusco is not only one of the most famous and exported Italian wines, but also a world of grape varieties and colours, a multitude of pairings and enjoyment. It is the most traditional and typical wine of Emilia-Romagna, with a family of no less than 12 indigenous black grape varieties.
A thousand-year history that speaks of territory and innovation
For more than a thousand years, the history of Lambrusco speaks of innovation and can be reconstructed by first of all taking a look at what poets and classical writers such as Virgil and Cato have to say. They recount of a Labrusca vitis, a wild vine which once grew on marginal land in the Emilia-Romagna countryside. Even Pliny the Elder, in his treatise Naturalis Historia, described the Po Valley area as being particularly suited to vines.
During the Middle Ages, legend has it that Matilda of Canossa won the Battle of Sorbara by leaving some Lambrusco wine in the castle besieged by enemy troops who, becoming intoxicated, fell asleep and were unable to fight. It is also said that the Countess made a gift of this light, sparkling wine to Pope Gregory VII.
From the Renaissance period onwards, references to Lambrusco increase and, in the 19th century, an important technical innovation was introduced for the preservation of this sparkling wine. In 1814, in fact, Count Vincenzo Dandolo published in Modena the instructions for the correct production and bottling of sparkling wines, crucial steps to be able to market Lambrusco wine without tampering with it in any way. In 1900, Lambrusco was once and for all consecrated in international oenology when several social cooperatives were established with the aim of protecting producers, safeguarding agricultural income and creating targeted sales channels. Today, the entire production system is represented by the Consorzio Tutela Lambrusco DOC, which in 2021 grouped together all the numerous consortiums in the area.
Peasant farmer identity, contemporary heart
Lambrusco is a sparkling and eclectic red wine. Its light, rosé bubbles can be enjoyed at any time of day, thanks to its low alcohol content. It has a fresh, mellow flavour and is a perfect accompaniment for traditional Emilian dishes, characterised by products rich in fat content and flavour: cold cuts, filled pasta and gnocco fritto, but also local cheeses, such as Parmigiano Reggiano DOP. Lambrusco is also used in the kitchen to prepare dishes such as zampone (pig’s trotter) and cotechino (pork sausage), or first courses such as risotto al Lambrusco and pasta al Lambrusco.
From a family of twelve indigenous varieties that grow and are spread throughout the provinces of Modena, Parma and Reggio Emilia, four distinct PDO products are made, each with its own character and ideal pairings: Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro, Lambrusco Sorbara, Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce and Lambrusco Reggiano.
Lambrusco is appreciated and enjoyed above all by the inhabitants of its native region, who have been producing and consuming it for centuries. It is an authentic symbol of a terroir that lays claims to deep-rooted tradition but at the same time manages to have a modern and contemporary character: it is a wine with a very precise identity which, thanks to the outstanding role it plays on the table, continues to reap great success and is the vanguard symbol of a supply chain that is unique in the world in terms of variety and quality.
