D4.C12. Lambrusco Flashcards

1
Q

What is Lambrusco?

A

Lambrusco is the name of the mainly red, made by the tank method, spumante or frizzante wines made from the family of Lambrusco varieties

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2
Q

Where is the Lambrusco region located in Italy?

A

In Emilia-Romagna in central Italy and situated close to the River Po

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3
Q

Tasting notes for Lambrusco

A
  • Color varies from pale pink to deep ruby
  • Strawberry, red cherry and red plum fruit flavours
  • Medium to medium (+) tannins
  • High acidity
  • Usually, residual sugar
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4
Q

What is the quality/price range for Lambrusco?

A
  • The quality is mainly acceptable
    to good with a small number of very good examples
  • Inexpensive to mid-priced
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5
Q

What is the climate of Lambrusco region?

A

Warm continental with adequate rainfall (735 mm), with some threat of rain at harvest time

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6
Q

How is the topography of Lambrusco region?

A

The region has low hills of around 150
m of altitude

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7
Q

Is irrigation allowed in Lambrusco?

A

Irrigation is used to ensure an adequate water supply at critical points

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8
Q

What is the structure of the soil in Lambrusco?

A

The soils are alluvial, predominantly clay and silt, with good water-holding capacity but are prone to compaction

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9
Q

What is the solution of the growers in Lambrusco region to allow access by machines in wet periods and to reduce compaction?

A

Grassing between rows

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10
Q

What are the reasons for the high yields in Lambrusco region?

A
  • The high fertility of the soils
  • High vigour of the grapes
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11
Q

What are the most common forms of vine training in Lambrusco region? Why?

A
  • Cordon trained (e.g. Sylvoz) and Geneva Double Curtain
  • Suitable for high vigour vines and allowing full mechanisation
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12
Q

What are the viticultural hazards and their solutions in Lambrusco region?

A
  • Humidity on the river plain makes regular preventative spraying against fungal diseases. spraying has been reduced through sustainable viticulture (better canopy management, close monitoring of weather forecasts to anticipate problems
  • Grapevine yellows have posed an increasing threat in recent years, controlled by rapid removal of affected plants and by controlling the vectors
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13
Q

What are the most important Lambrusco varieties?

A
  • Lambrusco Salamino
  • Lambrusco Grasparossa
  • Lambrusco di Sorbara
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14
Q

What are the properties of Lambrusco Salamino?

A
  • Most widely planted variety
  • It produces fragrant, deep coloured, full-bodied wines with high acidity
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15
Q

What is the name of the DOC for Lambrusco Salamino?

A

Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce

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16
Q

What are the requirements for Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce DOC?

A
  • It requires a minimum of 85% of this variety
  • Maximum yield of 133 hL/ha
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17
Q

What are the properties of Lambrusco Grasparossa?

A
  • Does best on clay and silt
  • It is only variety to be grown mainly on the hillsides
  • It produces deep coloured, full-bodied wine with medium (+) tannins
18
Q

What is the name of the DOC for Lambrusco Grasparossa?

A

Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC

19
Q

What are the requirements for Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC?

A
  • It requires a minimum of 85% of this
    variety
  • It allows a maximum yield of 126 hL/ha
20
Q

What are the properties of Lambrusco di Sorbara?

A

It makes pale, lighter bodied wines with high acidity

21
Q

What is the name of the DOC for Lambrusco di Sorbara?

A

Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC

22
Q

What are the requirements for Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC?

A
  • It requires a minimum of 60% this variety
  • It allows a maximum yield of 126 hL/ha
23
Q

What are the two further DOCs are named after the provinces of Reggio-Emilia and Modena, not after the names of Lambrusco varieties and their allowed maximum yields?

A
  • Reggiano Lambrusco or simply Reggiano DOC (126 hl/ha)
  • Lambrusco di Modena DOC or simply Modena DOC (161 hL/ha). Very high yields lead to low levels of fruit concentration
24
Q

What is the maceration period for most of the Lambrusco wines? Why?

A
  • 1-2 days
  • Lambrusco varieties have high levels of anthocyanins
  • This short maceration time also restricts the amount of tannin extracted
25
Q

How are the more structured, fuller bodied Lambrusco wines produced?

A

For more structured, fuller bodied wines, typically from Lambrusco Grasparossa grapes, the musts are kept on the skins for 3–4 days

26
Q

What is the fermentation temperature for the first fermentation of Lambrusco?

A

18–20°C to retain primary fruit aromas

27
Q

Is malolactic conversion performed for Lambrusco? Why?

A

No, malolactic conversion is blocked to preserve high acidity

28
Q

What is the fermentation temperature and the duration for the second fermentation of Lambrusco?

A
  • Second fermentation at low
    temperatures (12–15°C)
  • It typically takes two weeks for frizzante wines and one monthfor spumante
29
Q

Is maturation on lees required for Lambrusco?

A

No

30
Q

How is the sweetness level adjusted for Lambrusco?

A
  • There is no dosage of dryer styles
  • Sweet wines either have the fermentation stopped at the desired sweetness level and/or are sweetened by blending with must or RCGM
31
Q

How are the traditional method wines are made in Lambrusco?

A

They are undisgorged bottle-fermented wines
(ancestral method)

32
Q

How are the IGT wines made from Lambrusco varieties is labelled?

A

IGT Emilia

33
Q

For spumante wines, the DOC wines make up how may per cent of production?

A
  • 25%
  • The rest is IGT
34
Q

What are the minimum required abv for spumante and frizzante Lambrusco DOCs?

A
  • Spumante: 11% abv
  • Frizzante: 10.5% abv
  • However, wines in the amabile or dolce styles are permitted to have a minimum of only 7% abv
35
Q

How are the labelling terms and sweetness levels are different for spumante wines and frizzante wines?

A
  • Spumante wines are labelled according to the standard EU categories for sparkling
    wine
  • Frizzante wines have fewer sweetness categories (secco/asciutto, abboccato, amabile), with each category encompassing a broader range of sweetness
36
Q

What is the average vineyard holding size in Lambrusco?

A

Less than 3 ha, however, average
size has more than doubled since 2000 as some growers left the industry and sold their land to others

37
Q

Do most of the growers make their own wine in Lambrusco?

A

No, most growers take their fruit to be vinified in the co-operatives or larger private. wineries

38
Q

What are the percentages of domestic market and export for Lambrusco?

A
  • Domestic: 1/3 (principally in supermarkets and in the hospitality sector)
  • Export: 2/3
39
Q

Why Lambrusco has struggled to throw off the ‘inexpensive, red, frothy and sweet” tag

A
  • Poor quality wines being exported in large volumes in the past
  • Part of the issue is that ‘Lambrusco’ on its own is not a protected name (unlike Prosecco). it is still possible to produce and sell inexpensive, low alcohol, wine-related drinks as Lambrusco, which has made it difficult to promote Lambrusco as a high-quality wine
40
Q

What is Cantine Riunite and CIV?

A
  • It is Italy’s largest wine company by value of turnover hat specialises in Lambrusco and Prosecco
  • Cantine Riunite was created in 1950 by the merger of nine local wine co-operatives in the province of Reggio Emilia
  • It has since been joined by the CIV co-operatives in the province of Modena and currently has 1,800 members
  • In 2002, it bought the Prosecco producer Cantine Maschio and further bought the large co- operative Gruppo Italiano Vini (GIV) in 2008
  • The company as a whole sells around half its wine in Italy (predominantly via retailers,
    rather than the hospitality sector)
  • It had particular success with Lambrusco Amabile in the USA
  • The top export markets are the UK, USA,
    Mexico, Germany and France
  • In recent years, its turnover has risen by around 50% (2010/11–2017/18), much of this growth due to sparkling wine