Lambrusco has played a very important part in the Italian wine industry. In the 1970s, it became the best-known and most widely consumed Italian wine in the world. Unfortunately, quality began to suffer due to overproduction, and it developed a poor reputation. Today, many people will walk past this wine in the wine shop or avoid ordering it from a restaurant wine list. However, in my opinion, so long as I am careful which I choose, I find that drinking Lambrusco can be a very pleasant experience.

REAL Lambrusco is a wonderful red red color - not the white or pale pink of many of the cheaper bottles. It is dry, and suggests sparkle, with lightness, and a low alcoholic content, with the kind of brisk freshness and acidity needed to cut through the rich sauces and fatty salamis of its home region of Emilia-Romagna (the area around Modena and Bologna in northeastern Italy).

The first thing I look for in a Lambrusco is the dominant aroma of violets, and then I look at the fizz, which boils up when the wine is poured and leaves a faint ring of white around the edge of the glass when it settles. If this fizz disappears immediately, the wine is authentic. The best Lambruscos are classified DOC, and there are several to choose from; Lambrusco di Sorbara has the most parfume, while Lambrusco Grasparossa has a deeper flavor and and color, and more tannins. Richer wines come from Lambrusco Salamino. Drinking Lambrusco should be fun, fresh and stimulating. I really like to pair it with egg pasta, cold meats, or grilled sausages. Be careful which Lambrusco you choose; but I think it is worth giving this wine a try."

~ Drinks 2006 by Vincent Gasnier, MS