Lambrusco is one of the most renowned Italian DOC wines and among the best sellers in the world. In order to truly appreciate the wine, it is necessary to learn about its territory of origin which includes the provinces of Modena and Reggio Emilia.
Lambrusco is an ancient vine that is considered by many to be the ancestor of many of Emilia Romagna’s domestic vines. Over the centuries, thanks to the devotion of the Emilian people, Lambrusco has evolved and flourished, which allowed it to become successful worldwide, with its immense popularity dating back to the beginning of the twentieth century. Oenologist Sandro Cavicchioli confirms Lambrusco’s long and storied history in a conversation we had with him on the subject;
Lambrusco is part of an ancient winemaking history. Since 1900 the wine has received numerous awards from international competitions from all over the world. To be clear, the Lambrusco of the beginning of the 20th century was profoundly different from today’s, although no one doubts it was Lambrusco! Today it is a wine capable of expressing a range of sensations that consumers 100 years ago were precluded. Most evidently, is the light freshness for which it is most recognized for all over the world.
Lambrusco vines are typically cultivated on plains consisting of loose, eroded soil made from a mix of clay and sand. The plains are located between the provinces of Modena and Reggio Emilia, where the conditions in the soil and the climate have been evolving to improve the quality of the Lambrusco grape.
At first, Lambrusco was very sour, today it achieved a perfect balance between its sweetness and acidity but Lambrusco grapes are transformed at high-end processing centers to make a wine suitable for domestic and foreign markets. The quality of the Lambrusco showcases the distinctiveness of the territories of where it is grown and the passion of the local people.
“We often erroneously think that high quantity is synonymous with low quality but it not true! Lambrusco actually benefits from being produced on a large scale as the production will not be severely affected due to poor weather”
Each year the Lambrusco DOCs in Modena produce approximately 31 million wine bottles, when considering the DOCs of Reggio Emilia and the addition Emilia Romagna IGTs, Lambrusco bottles would exceed 170 million bottle per year, making it the most produced wine in Emilia Romagna!
