Lambrusco

Lambrusco is not a place or a brand, but the name of a group of red grape varieties from Emilia and the wines produced from them.

What kind of wine is Lambrusco?

A red one, and one that is plural. The Consorzio Tutela Lambrusco, a non-profit association based in Modena, lists twelve indigenous red grape varieties of this name, including Salamino, Grasparossa, and Sorbara. They are used individually or in combination, depending on the rules of the respective denomination of origin. The consortium oversees the designations for the provinces of Modena and Reggio Emilia and does not sell wine itself. So, when people say Lambrusco, they are referring to a family, not a single bottle.

Two from this family appear on the labels in our selection, and they do not taste the same. Lambrusco Salamino is so named because the grape grows in a spindle shape that resembles a salami; the variety comes from Santa Croce, a district of Carpi, and is widespread in the plains of Modena and Reggio Emilia. Its wines are intensely colored, with violet tones, have soft tannins, and taste of raspberry, cherry, and blackberry, with a subtle hint of rose in the background. Lambrusco Grasparossa grows in the hills and at the foot of the hills, originally in the municipality of Castelvetro; it dyes the wines ruby red with violet reflections and brings more tannin. This gives them structure, along with notes of sour cherry, cranberry, blackberry, almond, and violet. Those who prefer it more austere should look for Grasparossa on the label; those looking for soft tannins should look for Salamino.

Is Lambrusco always sweet?

No, and the label will tell you. In Germany, there are four flavor designations for wine, graded according to residual sugar: dry (trocken) up to a maximum of 4 grams per liter and up to 9 under certain conditions, semi-dry (halbtrocken) up to 12 and up to 18 under conditions, semi-sweet (lieblich) up to a maximum of 45, and sweet (süß) over 45. The word Secco translates to dry and may be used on dry semi-sparkling wines in addition to the mandatory designation.

The wines in our range are on the dry end of the spectrum. The Grato is vinified dry, with good acidity and fine tannins, and the Brut is a dry red sparkling wine made from pure Lambrusco Salamino. In the Senzafondo, residual sugar is barely present. The sweet Lambrusco that many think of first is one possibility for these grape varieties, not a defining characteristic.

What is the difference between red wine and Lambrusco?

The carbon dioxide, and it comes from a second fermentation. Sparkling wines are usually produced by having a finished wine undergo a second alcoholic fermentation, either in the bottle or in a tank; the carbon dioxide produced during this process creates the characteristic fizz. The details of how this process works can be found in the entry on Sekt.

The amount of gas ultimately in the bottle is not a matter of taste, but a limit. For semi-sparkling wine (Perlwein), the overpressure from the carbon dioxide must be at least 1 bar and may not exceed 2.5 bar, measured at 20 degrees Celsius. Sparkling wine (Schaumwein) requires at least 3 bar, and quality sparkling wine 3.5. And what lies in between? A product with 2.5 to 3 bar falls between both definitions and is therefore not marketable. A Frizzante is thus a semi-sparkling wine, a Spumante a sparkling wine, and the label tells you which of the two you have in front of you.

However, not all semi-sparkling wine is created equal. In standard semi-sparkling wine, the carbon dioxide comes from the fermentation of the wine used; in semi-sparkling wine with added carbon dioxide, it is added in whole or in part and may even be technically produced. This can be read in the product category.

Andrea Lusvardi and his wife Rita Covezzi in San Martino in Rio demonstrate just how different two semi-sparkling wines from the same cellar can turn out. Of their seven hectares of operating area, 3.5 hectares are planted with Lambrusco vines, exclusively Salamino and Grasparossa. Their Grato matures for seven months on the lees and undergoes its second fermentation in the bottle, on the lees and without disgorgement, using the Metodo Ancestrale. The Senzafondo, made from the same two varieties, takes the other path: first the traditional fermentation at a controlled temperature, then the second fermentation in a large pressure tank using the Charmat method. Both are red Frizzante made from 60 percent Salamino and 40 percent Grasparossa. Which process is in the bottle is not in the name, but in the description.

How do you drink Lambrusco?

Cold, and colder than you would normally serve a red wine. For their two Frizzante, the house recommends 8 to 10 degrees Celsius, and for their two Spumante, 6 to 8 degrees. Put the bottle in the fridge before you start cooking, and it will be cold by the time the plate is ready.

At the table, these wines belong with hearty food. The house serves the Grato with aged ham, fish dishes, and mushroom risotto; the Senzafondo with smoked meat, dishes from Emilia-Romagna, and creamy risottos; and the Brut with aged meat, cheese, and medium-fat dishes. The Rosé goes in a different direction, with appetizers, fried fish and seafood, and light vegetable dishes. A board with aged ham, a piece of hard cheese, a loaf of bread, and a cold bottle in the middle: that is dinner for four, and the only work involved is the slicing.

Four Lambrusco from Emilia

All four come from Lusvardi and from the same two grape varieties. The semi-sparkling wines are the Grato – Lambrusco IGP with its second fermentation in the bottle, and the Senzafondo – Lambrusco IGP from the pressure tank. Alongside these as sparkling wines are the Brut – Lambrusco Spumante made from pure Salamino and the Rosé – Lambrusco Spumante, whose grapes are harvested by hand and gently pressed. Anyone wanting to compare what the same two varieties can do in four different bottles will find them at Lusvardi.

Sources

Last checked on 09/26/2026

By Kerstin Uhlenbusch