Hi
Considering the Lambrusco is often made in a light and easy to drink off-dry
style, can it be looked upon as a serious wine?
Or it's a fun wine for beginners whose palate have not yet developed to
appreciate sophisticated wine?
Thanks

Raymond wrote:
> Hi
> Considering the Lambrusco is often made in a light and easy to drink off-dry
> style, can it be looked upon as a serious wine?
> Or it's a fun wine for beginners whose palate have not yet developed to
> appreciate sophisticated wine?

I know what you mean by your description of Lambrusco. That is the sort
of industrial wine usually found in the US and likely in the Orient
also. Portugal also sells a lot of cheap, red slightly sparkling wine.
However there are much better grades of Lambrusco. First they can vary
in color from red through pink. Also some of them are much drier than
what you usually find at your corner liquor store. The better ones also
are more expensive than the industrial stuff. The best is likely to be
labeled secco, that has a second fermentation in the bottle and may
contain a bit of sediment. According to Hugh Johnson, some of the
better wines, that sometimes can be found at select stores outside of
Italy, include those from Bellei, Caprari, Casali, Cavicchioli,
Graziano, Lini Oreste, Medici Ermete(Concerto), Rinaldo Rinaldini,
Venturini Baldini. It might be worth buying single bottles of any of
these that you can locate in your area to see if you like any of them.
I hope you have better luck finding them than I do in the central US.
Of course some companirs produce both industrial and fine Lambrusco.

Mi e' parso che abbia scritto:

> I know what you mean by your description of Lambrusco.
> That is the sort of industrial wine usually found in the
> US and likely in the Orient also. Portugal also sells a
> lot of cheap, red slightly sparkling wine. However there
> are much better grades of Lambrusco.

Exactly. WHat the OP talks about, and you've perfectly described
here, is "plonk" lambrusco. Now, let's go on with the real thing


> First they can vary
> in color from red through pink.

Yes, Grasparossa being the most colored and potentially strong,
with lower yield, higher sugar contents and higher polyphenols in
the berries' skin (what's the right technical word for the
skin?).

> The best is likely to be
> labeled secco, that has a second fermentation in the
> bottle and may contain a bit of sediment.

That is the traditional style Lambrusco, made in this
almost-champenoise method but without both liqueur de tirage and
degorgement, thus the possibility to find sediment.

> According to
> Hugh Johnson, some of the better wines, that sometimes
> can be found at select stores outside of Italy, include
> those from Bellei, Caprari, Casali, Cavicchioli,
> Graziano, Lini Oreste, Medici Ermete(Concerto), Rinaldo
> Rinaldini, Venturini Baldini.

Hey, this Johnson guy knows what he's saying: these are the best
producers around, apart this Graziano I din't know of. Bellei
(too pricey IMHO) and Cavicchioli are in the "Lambrusco di
Sorbara" DOC area, in Modena, while the others are in the
Reggiano DOC area or "Colli di Scandiano e Canossa" DOC area,
both in Reggio Emilia. The DOC areas in Reggio Emilia are just
two: one for the hills ("Colli di Scandiano e Canossa") and one
for the lowland ("Reggiano") while in Modena they did cut three
area based on the main variety of Lambrusco grapes used:
"Grasparossa di Castelvetro" in the hills, "Sorbara" in the
middle, along the Via Emilia, and "Salamino di Santa Croce" in
the lowland towards the river Po. Parma also produces lambrusco
in it's only DOC area: "Colli di Parma".

> It might be worth buying
> single bottles of any of these that you can locate in
> your area to see if you like any of them. I hope you have
> better luck finding them than I do in the central US. Of
> course some companirs produce both industrial and fine
> Lambrusco.

True, one example is Cantine Riunite from Reggio Emilia: they
produce both cheap plonk and good quality lambrusco, and the good
one is labeled "Cuvee dei Fondatori" (three styles: Grasparossa,
Reggiano and Sorbara) or it is labeled "Novecento" with a silver
label. Another who makes both plonk and good lambrusco is Ermete
medici, whose Concerto I consider to be the best Lambrusco
around, for about 4,10 euros: he also produces a line priced
around 2 euros per bottle, which it is noticeably better than the
Riunite bottles of the same price tag.
All these Lambruscos are sparkling, but there is also someone
vinificating not-sparkling lambrusco, as Rinaldini: theyr Moro
del Moro and Vigna del Picchio are both ageworty reds averaging
15 euros the first and 9 the latter. The MdM is made from raisins
almost like an Amarone and this adds up to its body, making it an
ageworthy, structurated velvety red. No doubt, Moro del Moro is
the best wine from Reggio Emilia, and in the next few weeks I'm
going at the wineyard to get my Christmas fix of Moro del Moro

BTW - This year my "Christmas fix tour" will start at Picci in
Cavriago for Traditional Balsamic Vinegar, then continue on to
Rinaldini for wine and then jump to Collecchio, Parma, for 36 and
60 months old Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
"It's a dirty job, but someone has to do it" ))
--
Vilco
Think Pink , Drink Rose'

Mi e' parso che Vilco abbia scritto:

>> First they can vary
>> in color from red through pink.

> Yes, Grasparossa being the most colored and potentially
> strong, with lower yield, higher sugar contents and
> higher polyphenols in the berries' skin (what's the right
> technical word for the skin?).

I forgot one thing, Acellotta. It is a variety of Lambrusco often
used to add color to wines, but not only lambrusco: it gets sold
in all italy.
--
Vilco
Think Pink , Drink Rose'

"Vilco" > wrote:

> Yes, Grasparossa being the most colored and potentially strong,
> with lower yield, higher sugar contents and higher polyphenols
> in the berries' skin (what's the right technical word for the
> skin?).

"Skin" is perfectly OK.

M.

Mi e' parso che Michael Pronay abbia scritto:

> "Skin" is perfectly OK.

Danke
--
Vilco
Think Pink , Drink Rose'

Is Ashlee Simpson a serious singer?


Raymond wrote:
> Hi
> Considering the Lambrusco is often made in a light and easy to drink off-dry
> style, can it be looked upon as a serious wine?
> Or it's a fun wine for beginners whose palate have not yet developed to
> appreciate sophisticated wine?
> Thanks

Wine writer Matt Kramer agrees with you: "A Lambrusco can be GREAT."

For a list of on- and off-line "Concerto" US retailers, go to http://www.VinoFrizzante.com

A lot of restaurants in Emilia-Romagna make their own---They are very good
to excellent---fresh & fragrant-----Reunite, Canei etc have ruined the
market for decent lambrusco----most wholesalers will not buy any lambrusco
priced at least 20% higher then the plonk--I tried in the Mid-Atlantic
states. Only the top areas for a full range of wines from Italy--Montreal,
Boston, New York city area, Washington DC, Chicago, Detroit, St Louis, San
Francisco, Los Angeles--- The fact Gallo is now selling Wines from the
Veneto (Bella Sera) or copying sweet Italian wines--Ballatore visa vis
Asti----have not marketed a Lambrusco and niche marketers like Wine Bow &
DiGrazia aren't selling Lambrusco in North America.


"conceptwine" > wrote in message
...
>
> Vilco Wrote:
> > Another who makes both plonk and good lambrusco is Medici Ermete, whose
> > "Concerto" I consider to be the best Lambrusco around...
>
> Wine writer Matt Kramer agrees with you: "A Lambrusco can be GREAT."
>
> For a list of on- and off-line "Concerto" US retailers, go to
> http://www.VinoFrizzante.com
>
>
> --
> conceptwine

Joe "Beppe"Rosenberg wrote:

> A lot of restaurants in Emilia-Romagna make their own---They are very
> good to excellent---fresh & fragrant-----Reunite, Canei etc have
> ruined the market for decent lambrusco----

Don't know who Canei is, but I totally agree on Riunite. They have put a
really bad name on Lambrusco.
--
Vilco
Think pink, drink rose'

I've liked a Lambrusco from Cantine Ceci. I think a few decent
Lambruscos are making it into states now.

DaleW wrote:

> I've liked a Lambrusco from Cantine Ceci. I think a few decent
> Lambruscos are making it into states now.

Was it Otello nero, by any chance? I had it circa one year ago with some
friends of the italian NG, including good ol' Mike T. , in Fornovo, not far
from Ceci's wineyards: a good bottle by this once-mediocre producer. Just as
Cantine RIunite did, this Ceci started to produce a top line who can make
you forget the base products, if you stay far from the latter.
Nice event, too, Vins de Vignerons. I can't wait for this year's issue, and
for Binner's whites.
--
Vilco
Think pink, drink rose'

Don't remember the name of the bottling, just that it was good (and
biodynamic I think).

Vilco wrote:
> DaleW wrote:
>
> > I've liked a Lambrusco from Cantine Ceci. I think a few decent
> > Lambruscos are making it into states now.
>
> Was it Otello nero, by any chance? I had it circa one year ago with some
> friends of the italian NG, including good ol' Mike T. , in Fornovo, not far
> from Ceci's wineyards: a good bottle by this once-mediocre producer. Just as
> Cantine RIunite did, this Ceci started to produce a top line who can make
> you forget the base products, if you stay far from the latter.
> Nice event, too, Vins de Vignerons. I can't wait for this year's issue, and
> for Binner's whites.
> --
> Vilco
> Think pink, drink rose'