Primary Method
Tank
Pressure
Spumante or Frizzante
Main Region
”- Emilia-Romagna (Central Italy, near the River Po)
- Inland in the former region of Emilia (now the Western part of Emilia-Romagna)”
Flavor Profile
”- Strawberry, red cherry, red plum
- Tannins = M to M+
- Acid = high
- Sweetness = present
- Color: Pale pink to deep ruby”
Main Grape Varieties - Lambrusco Family
“Lambrusco Salamino
L. Grasparossa
L. di Sorbara”
Lambrusco Salamino
”- Most widely planted
- Fragrant, deep color, full body, high acid
- Mostly blened
- DOC Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce (min 85% in blend)”
Lambrusco Grasparossa
”- Grown on clay, mainly on hillsides
- Deep color, full body, M+ tannins
- DOC Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro (min 85%)”
Lambrusco di Sorbara
”- Pale, lighter body, high acid
- DOC Lambrusco di Sorbara (min 60%)”
Other grapes {not named after L.}
”- Reggio-Emilia Province: Reggiano Lambrusco, Reggiano DOC
- Modena Province: Lambrusco di Modena, Modena DOC”
Climate
Warm Continental
Climate Factors
”- Adequate rainfall (irrigation is used though)
- Humidity on the riverplain”
Growing Environment
”- Low hills (150m alt)
- Soils are fertile and alluvial (clay + silt) = good water holding capacity but prone to compaction
- Grassed between rows to allow access by machines in wet periods to reduce compaction”
Yields
High = high fertility soil + varieties grown
Training
Cordon trained or Geneva Double Curtain (good for high vigour vines, allows mechanisation)
Risks
”- Rain during harvest
- Fungal diseases (spraying + canopy mgmt)
- Grapevine yellows (removal of affected plants + controlling vectors)”
Winemaking
”- Macerated for 1 - 2 days (sometimes longer w/ fuller body wines from Grasparossa)
- 1st Fermentation = low temps, MLF blocked (!!)
- 2nd Fermentation = low temps, two weeks for frizzante/one month for supmante
- no lees maturation
- no dosage for dryer styles while sweeter styles either stop fermentation and/or are sweetened by blending w/ must or RCGM”
Rules - Spumante
”- can be labelled IGT Emilia
- DOC makes up 25 - 30% of production, rest is IGT
- min 11% ABV*
- Sweetness labeled in accordance w/ EU categories”
Rules - Frizzante
”- can be labelled IGT Emilia
- min 10.5% ABV*
- Sweetness labeled by Secco/Asciutto, Abboccato, Amabile”
Amabile or Dolce*
Permitted to have a min ABV of 7% (min potential ABV of 10.5 - 11%)
Growers & Producers
Properties are small (less than 3 hectares) so most growers take their fruit to be vinified in the COOPs or larger private wineries
Market
”- 1/3 sold in Italy (supermarkets, hospitatlity, some specialty)
- 2/3 sold in Exports”
Lambrusco (the name)
Not protected so therefore it’s been a challenge to promote it as a high quality wine (since so many low qualities versions can/do fill the shelves)
