Before the 1960s Lambrusco was an obscure regional wine enjoyed alongside Emilia-Romagna’s rich cuisine. Not only did it complement the food, its effervescence and tannin served as palate cleansers that would prepare diners for their next bite of prosciutto, mortadella, lardo-smeared bruschetta, and other unctuous delicacies. I envy people who knew Lambrusco before its mass production and loss of identity—and quite nearly its soul. Fortunately, in recent years, that situation has been improving.
Lambrusco is, by definition, a sparkling wine made from a family of red grapes of the same name. Depending on the variety, Lambrusco might be blended with other native grapes, such as Malbo Gentile or Ancellotta, which are chosen to balance flavor, structure, or acidity, or to add color. The methods of making Lambrusco transitioned from artisanal to industrial in the 1970s with the arrival of the Charmat Method, which involves fermenting wine in large stainless steel autoclaves, trapping carbon dioxide in the liquid as yeast digests the sugar in the grape juice. The result is a very consistent, though characterless, wine manufactured to feed a global thirst for sweet wines. In fact, most Lambrusco falls under a category called amabile (sweet) and is cloying and, frankly, undrinkable.
Over the past several decades, though, small producers, including Camillo Donati, Vittorio Graziano, and Luciano and Sara Saetti, have been returning to the old-school methods of making Lambrusco in the bottle, a process called metodo ancestrale. The partially fermented wine is bottled so carbon dioxide is trapped inside the glass bottle as the wine continues to ferment. The result is pleasantly effervescent, complex, and a fitting foil to the luscious foods of Emilia-Romagna.
I like to pair artisanal Lambrusco with Tagliatelle con Ragù della Vecchia Scuola (page 90), Lasagna Verde alla Bolognese (page 68), or any pasta served with a hearty meat ragù, so I’m happy it is becoming more widely available outside Italy. The producers have mentioned exporting to the States, so be sure to ask your local wine shop to stock some bottles if they don’t already. And if they can’t snag something from those producers, look for Lambrusco made in the metodo ancestrale. My favorite Lambrusco vendors in the U.S. are Domaine L.A. in Los Angeles and Discovery Wine in New York City.