Easy to drink, food-friendly, and affordable, Lambrusco is fast becoming the fashionable wine of those in the know, and can be found on wine lists from Brooklyn to Seoul. If you’ve been holding out, now is the time to give Lambrusco a second chance.

Rebecca Winke

The theme for this months Italian Food, Wine and Travel (#ItalianFWT) group of food and wine bloggers is Italian Sparkling Wines for the Holidays.

I’m sharing a 21st century Lambrusco that is the antithesis of 20th Century candied, fizzy, very commercial Lambrusco sold by the millions of cases annually here in the United States in the 1970s and ’80s (and popularized by commercials like this).

I don’t think of 21st century Lambrusco as a comeback or rebirth of Lambrusco, because dry, clean, not-quite-sparkling, easy-drinking wines crafted from select grapes, and offered at reasonable prices were made well before, during and certainly after the 20th century version that so badly damaged its reputation.

About Lambrusco

For the uninitiated,  Lambrusco, which hails from the Emilia Romagna (arguably the gastronomic capital of Italy) region of Italy. It is a family of indigenous red grapes varieties that are commonly used to make a sparkling red wine of the same name. There are at least 10 varieties of Lambrusco, and five have their own DOC. 

Lambrusco di Sorbara is a DOC established in 1970 for rosé and red sparkling wines. The sparkling wine may be frizzante (fizzy) and spumante (sparkling) forms, and in various levels of sweetness. They feature a specific clone of the Lambrusco red wine grape variety, named after the village of Sorbara. The wines may undergo second fermentation either in bottle or in pressurized tanks.

The Lambrusco di Sorbara grape’s most distinctive feature is its flowering anomaly. The vine drops its flowers, reducing yields (in some years more than 30 percent). This results in the grapes having more concentrated flavors, so what it lacks in quantity is easily made up in quality explains WineSearcher.com

2019 Paltrinieri Lambrusco di Sorbara Radice

This wine is 100% Lambrusco di Sorbara made in the “Metodo Ancestrale” where the secondary fermentation take place in the bottle rather than the Martinotti (tank) method common with Lambrusco production.

It pours a slightly cloudy salmon pink color with ripe wild strawberry, raspberry, citrus blossom, ruby grapefruit, chalk and baked pastry aromas. On the palate, it’s frizzante, and dry with mouth-watering acidity with enticing wild strawberry, crushed raspberry, nectarine, ruby grapefruit, and a hint of tangerine flavors accented with a very appealing saline minerality. While it looks a Rosé, it’s actually a red wine! 11.5% abv| SRP – $20. Most definitely in the conversation for the best Lambrusco I’ve ever had. Will buy more! Sealed under crown cap.

I’m a fan of pairing Lambrusco with wood-fired pizza This was fantastic paired with a delectable Guantonio’s”Falco” pizza of house made sausage, breadcrumbs, basil, chili flake, red onion & fresh mozzarella + wood fired squash with Kabocha, lentils, mushrooms, pecorino, brown butter vinaigrette, crunchy seeds & grains.

I’m recommending it for your holiday table because I think it’s a thought-provoking, dry, food friendly, appetizing refreshing wine. It’s festive color is a nice bonus.

About Paltrinieri

The Paltrinieri family has been producing Lambrusco in what is the Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC for four generations  They were the first to produce a 100% Lambrusco di Sorbara in 1998.

Related posts you might enjoy: A Distinctive Duo Of Italian Sparkling Wines which features another of my favorite Lambrusco: Fattoria Moretto Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro Secco

Be sure to check out the diverse selection of Italian Sparkling Wines my fellow #ItalianFWT food and wine bloggers discovered for this holiday season:

• Terri of Our Good Life says Beviamo alla nostra! Prosecco Superiore and Happy Christmas!
• Marcia of Joy of Wine is Celebrating the Season with Sparkling Freisa.
• Cindy of Grape Experiences writes about Pure Trentodoc – Sparkling Wines from the Mountains.
  
• Jill of L’Ocassion encourages us to Be in Italy for the Holidays with This Bubbly Wine Lineup.
• Gwendolyn of Wine Predator pushes Beyond Prosecco? Try These Sustainable Sparkling Wines from Italy’s Erbaluce, Franciacorta, Lambrusco, Pignoletto.
• Lynn of Savor the Harvest gives us Valdobbiadene DOCG Prosecco to Make Your Holiday Sparkle – La Tordera Rive Di Guia.
• Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm says Cheers to 2021…2020 Don’t Let The Door Hit You On The Way Out.
• Susannah of Avvinare pours Versatile Lambrusco for the Holidays.
• Deanna of Asian Test Kitchen serves Val D’Oca Prosecco Paired with Party Starters.
• Payal of Keep the Peas offers A ‘SeeYaNever2020’ Toast with Italian Bubbly.
• Linda of My Full Wine Glass says Hello Again, Lambrusco – Everyone Deserves a Second Chance.
• Jane of Always Ravenous pairs a Frizzante with Holiday Sweet Treats.
• Robin of Crushed Grape Chronicles pours Prosecco – Joyful Bubbles to “Wring” Out 2020.
• Jen of Vino Travels is ready to Sparkle up the Holidays with Prosecco Superiore.
• Martin of ENOFYLZ Wine Blog offers A Taste of 21st Century Lambrusco; Paltrinieri Lambrusco di Sorbara Radice.
• Nicole of Somm’s Table shares The Wide Worldof Italian Bubblies.
• Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla is Celebrating with Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Amidst the Pandemic.

If you’re up early enough, please join us over on Twitter on Saturday, December 5th at 8a PST/11a EST. We’ll be chatting about an amazing array of Italian sparkling wines for your holiday table. Just follow the #ItalianFWT hashtag.

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