Italian sparkling champagne "Lambrusco" (Lambrusco): prices, reviews

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

The Italian brand "Lambrusco" combines several varieties of wines and champagnes with exquisite taste.

What does Lambrusco mean?

Italian for "wild grapes". In their homeland in sunny Italy, grapes are found at every turn. It is nourished by the sun and heated air, and ripens naturally. The advantage of wild grapes is that they do not require special care and grow on their own. In Italy, it has always been made into a simple wine that could be drunk young. It turned out fragrant and light, did not require long maturation. Champagne "Lambrusco" is the common name for wines that foam naturally.

True connoisseurs say that there is nothing in common between this wine and real champagne.

Very naturally sparkling

Under "Lambrusco" specialists mean several varieties of grapes, from which excellent wine is always obtained. Grapes of this variety are red, pink and white.

Winemaking historians claim that this wine was still lovedinhabitants of ancient Rome. This is quite possible, because grapes have been growing in Italy for centuries, and the technology for making wine is approximately equal to the age of mankind. Popularity at all times was facilitated by the fact that after bottling into large steel containers, the drink began to play, giving a unique taste and lightness. Hence the popular name - Lambrusco champagne.

Variety of varieties

Modern winemakers have up to 60 grape varieties with common features. The thing is that this berry changes in its natural habitat.

Grapes cultivated by humans have clear genetic traits. Winemakers specifically select he althy vines for propagation from genetically identical plants, and protect the purity of the variety. That is, once found a good variety of grapes spread its exact copies around the world. This is how, for example, Chardonnay is grown, which is also a world famous brand. Varieties of Lambrusco reproduce naturally, being pollinated from other vines. Bumblebees and bees on clear sunny days easily transfer particles of similar genes from one plant to another. With grapes, the same thing happens as with other representatives of the flora in the wild: they vary slightly within the same species. This is how dandelions, clover, grasses and other wild species reproduce. Because of this, Lambrusco champagne has a variety of flavors: generally similar, but still different from each other.

Wine fashion

She played a cruel joke with the wine. Champagne "Lambrusco" received its maximum development in70s of the last century, when sweet and semi-sweet wines were at the peak of popularity. Of course, dry wines could also be produced from grape varieties in their homeland. They were produced, but in small quantities, because there was a fashion for sweets. The association is firmly rooted in the minds of consumers: "Lambrusco" sparkling is always sweet.

But fashion changes with time. Since dry and semi-dry wines have become popular, sales of Italian wines of this variety have declined.

Today, dry wine of this brand is produced and bought, but the current sales volume cannot be compared with what it was in the last century.

Difficulties with the name

Despite a long and interesting history, Lambrusco champagne is still not protected by any patent. The price per bottle ranges from 250 to 880 rubles. The only thing that winemakers have managed to date is to limit the use of the name outside of Italy itself. But, since wine is produced everywhere there, it is very difficult to monitor the quality. With the same degree of probability, you can stumble upon both an exclusive option and an unimportant copy. Unfortunately, conscientious winemakers and profit lovers have equal rights, so consumers can only rely on their luck.

Italian sparkling

Some hint about the quality of the wine can be obtained from the inscriptions on the label. If it is written "vino fermo" - this is a still wine in which there is no sparkling at all. This means that after the end of fermentation, the wine was bottled immediately. Everything's there:taste, aroma, smell of the sun, but no sparkling. These are the properties of wine, it was intended to be.

The inscription "frizzante" indicates that the wine will foam slightly after opening the bottle. A special technology is used that gives the drink a special appeal.

If it says “spumante”, then the bottle contains real Lambrusco champagne. The price of such bottles is usually the highest. The difference between real champagne and this Italian wine is that the former ferments in glass bottles while constantly turning. Italian wine is created in huge steel tanks, and the moment of bottling is determined solely by the winemaker.

The art of making wine is so subtle that secrets are often passed down within the family from father to son. Becoming a winemaker as a specialist takes no less time than maturing a vine.

Champagne alternative

This is what everyone who has tasted this wine calls it. The alcohol content is only 8%, they do not produce stronger. Bubbles and foam are beyond praise. Intoxication practically does not occur - easy relaxation. Ideal for women's get-togethers. It goes well with fruits, cheese, vegetable snacks. It comes in white, red and pink, so you can choose the right variety for meat and seafood.

Lambrusco champagne looks great in glasses. Reviews are unanimous: rich color, small bubbles and summer aroma will cheer you up in any situation.

A lotcontributes to the popularity of wine its price. No different in quality from expensive champagnes, this variety is an order of magnitude cheaper than well-known brands.

White varieties

“Lambrusco” white champagne is quite rare, because white varieties are very capricious. Its flowering passes early, and in the process of ripening many inflorescences fall off. The harvest is always small, but the taste is very rich. There is little sugar in the berries, this wine plays badly. Most often, the label will say "Sorbara" in both white and pink.

White is also wine "Reggiano" from the "Lambrusco" family. For production, the drink is most often blended with other varieties, in particular with Ancelotta. This grape is very sweet, it was from it that the wine that conquered America was made.

Method of making Lambrusco

Sparkling wine is traditionally associated with the name of the monk Perignon, although the technology has been created piecemeal since the beginning of the century.

To make an elite wine, the grapes must not be allowed to ripen until the end just a little bit. Guessing the date of collection is a whole art. Then the berries are squeezed very gently and get a cuvée - the best material or juice, practically not in contact with the seeds and skins. Usually, several varieties of juice are mixed to make good wine.

After pressing the first juice, the wine material is pressed further. It is from the juice of the second pressing that sparkling wines are made, this is how Lambrusco pink champagne is made. The juice from the third pressing is not used for winemaking.

Squeezed juice is poured into hugemetal containers where it roams. In the same containers, the liquid is mixed to obtain the desired aroma and taste.

At a certain stage of fermentation, the wine is poured into strong stainless steel containers, which are hermetically sealed, preventing air from entering. The containers must withstand a lot of pressure. This method is called the Sharma method.

Finally, the wine is bottled in glass bottles and sealed with a cork that can withstand internal pressure.

Lambrusco Bianco

Great white sparkling wine, the best drink for spring and summer, refreshing and pearly. Almost always produced semi-sweet. Connoisseurs describe its taste as enveloping, and the color is soft golden. Fruity, berry and apple notes are revealed.

Wines like Lambrusco Bianco champagne are best paired with mature cheese. In our reality, this drink can be combined with good pizza, fruit, traditional Italian pasta with creamy sauce, Parmesan, not too sweet desserts.

The right temperature is very important. The best range of the drink is from +3 to +10oC, this is how the taste is felt most vividly. Champagne glasses or regular wine glasses are a great decoration.

Gorgeous "Emilia"

The very name of the wine evokes an association with a graceful and playful young woman, full of strength and vitality.

The label must indicate that the drink is made according to the traditional or classical method. This means that correctly squeezed juice was used, and the wine went through several stages of fermentation.

The name of the drink was given by the best wine region Del Emilia and nearby Romagna. On the map, these two regions form a triangle delineated by the Adriatic Sea, the Apennines and the Po River. The climate here is unique: from alpine to mild continental. The capital of the region is the well-known Bologna. The number of sunny days reaches 200, and even in the coldest months there are no sub-zero temperatures. Summer rains are rare, but the sun is more than enough.

The autumn food and wine festival takes place here every year, usually from September to November. It is better to try the real Lambrusco Emilia (champagne) here and at this time for the first time. At the festival, you can try truffles and chestnuts, bluefish or Parma ham.

"Emilia" - real champagne, that is, wine made using champagne technology. This means that after pressing and blending, the unripe drink is poured into dark thick glass bottles and hermetically sealed. Ripening takes place in a container. The technological process is complex: temperature, light, turning.

Lambrusco wines are a nice occasion to meet friends, have a good time or relax after a hard day's work.