Soft-textured, it tastes of black cherry, cola, and really ripe blackberries.Ĭa' Montanari “Opera 02” Lambrusco di Modena ($18)įrom a family-owned, organic vineyard, this fresh sparkler dances across the tongue - bubbles last seemingly for days. Tiny bubbles and a bitter edge, like orange pith, make this a nice aperitif, to drink with stinky cheeses and charcuterie. Lini 910 “Labrusca” Emilia Lambrusco ($16) It’s semi-dry, with a bit more sugar than other bottles on this list, but still not entirely sweet. Racy, fine bubbles create a frothy texture that kicks up fun aromas of black cherry soda and even a little chocolate-dipped orange. Medici Ermete Dolce Quercioli Lambrusco ($14) Drink them chilled in regular wine glasses or jam jars (skip the hoity-toity flutes) with everything from burgers to brisket (hello, Memorial Day barbecue) to pizza - even the frozen kind. In fact, really great bottles hover around the $15 to $20 range. And most lambruscos are pleasantly dry.įrothy and refreshing, these are not wines that you need to linger or fuss over, nor do they carry insane price tags. These days, this couldn’t be further from the truth - tastes have changed, and so have winemaking standards. When our parents were drinking too-sweet rieslings in blue bottles, neon-colored wine coolers and booze-addled Long Island iced teas, lambrusco was known for being syrupy and cloying. Made from a half-dozen related grapes from different growing areas in the region, these inky wines are at their best when they’re earthy, crisp, and dry, with just the slightest hint of a bitter edge, which balances out flavors of dark berry pie and dried fruit, like figs.īack in the ‘70s and ‘80s, Lambrusco used to have an image problem. (Not that you’d do that, ahem.) Production tends to be a little more mass-produced than finer bubbles thanks to the Charmat method, a modern production style also used to make Prosecco, which introduces light effervescence without the cost and labor associated with traditional bubbles like Champagne. The bubbles are characteristically light and tight, less “fizzy” and damn near velvety, like you’re licking a couch in West Elm. Pepper - but drier, downright delicious options are blessedly more common these days, accessible for any budget but tasty enough to elevate your next pizza night or potluck.ĭid I mention this is a sparkling red wine? OK, fine, you can find rosé and white versions, too, but the red variety is the most common - and the most delicious. It’s often categorized by wine pros as “cheap and cheerful,” which I like to translate as “a great Tuesday impulse purchase.” For a while, that’s all this fizzy Italian wine was known for - sweet as hell, like a boozy Dr. Hailing from the Boot’s Emilia-Romagna region (also home to Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese), “lambrusco” refers to a family of grapes as well as the wine style. This is the porch-pounder you need to try this year. It’s damn easy to drink, even easier to enjoy, and hilariously uncomplicated - who gives a shit about tasting notes when you just want to float in a pool, buzzed under the sun? That said, most bottles these days - the palest shades of blush, Provence-inspired rosés - taste insipid and boring, so much so that most of the $10 to $15 bottles all taste the same.Įnter lambrusco, the easy-sipping sparkling red wine that’s a step up from bland rosé and straddles the divide between red wine, fizzy lifting drinks, even beer. Did you really think your photo wasn’t buzz marketing for a multinational company?ĭon’t get me wrong: Drowning yourself in rosé is a wonderful way to while away humid summer days. For me, rosé has gone from “all day” to “no way.” The boom in pink wine feels old and tired now, with winemakers and brands churning out oceans of the stuff to trick you into spending money on lifestyle and #content for your Insta.
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