With two thousand years behind it, Lambrusco is, in Italy and abroad, a wine "on the crest of the wave". Let's find out why.

Perhaps after the term Chianti, Lambrusco has always been one of the most identifying and representative names of our country and one of the most significant details of our wine culture. This has always been the case.

The story

The origins of Lambrusco are in fact lost in the mists of time and even the great Latin poet Virgil, born near Mantua (still today an area where a type of Lambrusco is produced), in the V Bucolic speaks of the existence of “ vitis labrusca” already two thousand years ago. The most accredited etymology of the name, in fact, wants it to derive from labrum (edge ​​of the fields) and ruscum (bramble, spontaneous plant): the “la-brusca” vine is therefore the one that grows uncultivated at the edge of the fields.

Lambrusco has had centuries of history and is most likely the only wine derived from a grape variety native to the Italian peninsula: while all other wines, in fact, derive from “ vitis vinifera ”, which has its origins in the Mesopotamian plateaus and the Caucasus, Lambrusco seems to descend from “ vitis silvestris ”, a wild vine present in Italy since ancient times and considered unsuitable for winemaking due to its harshness (the Romans called it “ vitis labrusca ” precisely).

Evidence that the “ vitis labrusca ” represented the first opportunity to come into contact with the wine-making experience of the Italian populations comes from the discovery of wild vine seeds dating back to the Bronze Age in the current production areas, those of Modena and Reggio Emilia.

Its bond with the territory is very strong, almost indissoluble and due to its characteristics, Lambrusco presents itself as a classic product of the third millennium in which, despite the globalization in the food sector, it cannot ignore the bond with its region. It has in fact conquered international palates, yet to truly enjoy it, it needs the accompaniment of the typical products of its land of origin. It is difficult to fully enjoy a dish of zampone or cotechino from Modena without the accompaniment of Lambrusco and it would even be difficult to establish whether Modena cuisine or Lambrusco came first (!!), so closely do the two products seem to be interdependent.

It is therefore right to give this wine all the credit it deserves, because while it is often labeled as a commercially low-cost wine, its freshness, its aromas and its low alcohol content, make it an eclectic symbol of the food and wine panorama of our country for its extreme versatility in pairings. For these characteristics, Lambrusco is one of the best-selling wines in Italy and abroad and its strong organoleptic qualities make it a pleasant and drinkable wine, suitable for any occasion. With the necessary differences of the case, we could affectionately define it as "the humble" Italian red Champagne.

The American Revolution of Lambrusco

“Red Champagne” is in fact the term with which Americans, in recent times, had nicknamed it for its sparkling cheerfulness, its acidulous taste, its sapidity and its lightness and with the French product, Lambrusco wine has more than one point of convergence, but first and foremost the bubbles: naturally sparkling, this symbol of Italianness once followed the seasonal cycles in which the winter temperature range blocked fermentation, which then resumed in spring, to then arrive at the present day, where the production process is favored by the most modern winemaking techniques that over time have increasingly distanced it from the idea of ​​a “peasant wine”.

Then, in the 1970s, the “American Lambrusco revolution” took place: the large social wineries began to produce this wine on a large scale and with industrial techniques , to then sell it in large quantities to a new overseas market of lovers of this recreational and pleasant drink, accessible in alcohol and suitable for all.

So much history, therefore, and a tradition that over time has been increasingly conveyed through modern production supports that have brought enormous improvements to the product. The very successful marketing operation made local producers very rich, but caused the death of artisanal Lambrusco that even today carries on its back the reputation of "8-degree sweet wine".

Lambrusco nowadays

Fortunately, however, many precious producers who love this wine have continued to produce Lambrusco in a slower way and the tradition has thus remained alive, although very hidden. Declined in various types of production, such as “ Sorbara ”, “ Grasparossa ”, “ Salamino ”, “ Maestri ” etc. linked to specific areas of Emilia-Romagna, today Lambrusco is finally coming out into the open with ever greater force and it has become common for insiders to approach this wine with a different, more competent interest.

To mention some points of reference in the production of Lambrusco, it is certainly worth mentioning the effort carried out by some excellent producers such as the timeless Cleto Chiarli , a historic winery in Modena dating back to 1860, which has kept the original process of producing Lambrusco intact, remaining anchored to the concepts of tradition, typicality and territoriality, mediated today by modern instruments that guarantee high quality at the service of tradition. Moving on to the Parma area, it is equally important to highlight the work of the Ceci 1938 winery, which aims to communicate a tradition anchored to an important modern vision driven by incessant research on the product and an extremely unique approach in the creation of design and packaging to contain and spread Lambrusco through seductive and highly original bottles that have now become a trademark for the winery in the lower Parma area.

The contribution of important sommeliers from across the Alps has also given this wine new and highly qualified attention: in Paris, for example, excellent and renowned restaurants in the city serve our “Red Champagne” as an aperitif, with great appreciation from their guests.

While until yesterday, in short, Lambrusco was an "undemanding, sweet and sparkling red wine" and snubbed by many, in the last few years, a new era has begun for this product that is a symbol of Italianness in the world and a wine with unparalleled modernity that, with its vivacity and its sparklingness, is as if it reflected a lightness of spirit that the conviviality with which it is associated marries perfectly in every context!

Written by Carlo Attisano for mangiaebevi.it