Lambrusco Flashcards
What is the typical style of Lambrusco wines?
Sparkling or semi-sparkling red wines with some residual sugar
What are the character and quality level of Lambrusco wines?
Some residual sugar
High acidity
Medium to Medium (+) tannins
Aromas of strawberry
Acceptable to Good quality
Where is Lambrusco produced?
Mostly around Modena in Emilia-Romagna
Describe the terroir in Emilia-Romagna where Lambrusco is produced.
A warm, continental climate with 735mm rainfall and low hills (around 150m)
Alluvial soils predominantly made of clay and silt with high nutritional value
What climatic threat is a risk during harvest time for Lambrusco in Emilia-Romagna?
Rain
What type of soil is prevalent in the Lambrusco growing area of Emilia-Romagna? How good are they at retaining water?
Alluvial soils made mostly of clay and silt. They have a high capacity for water retention.
The soils in Emilia-Romagna’s Lambrusco growing areas are prone to what? Why? How have growers adapted?
The clay and silt soils are prone to compaction. This affects how machines can move between the vines, especially if the soil is wet. Grass is planted between vine rows to reduce compaction and enable machinery to traverse the vineyards.
Is the soil Lambrusco is grown on in Emilia-Romagna fertile or not? How does this affect the vine?
The soil is very fertile, leading to very high yields
What river valley are Emilia-Romagna’s Lambrusco growing regions located in?
The Po River valley
True or False
The Lambrusco growing regions in the Po River Valley are very humid but the vines do not require preventative spraying against disease or pests
False
The Po River Valley is humid, but preventative spraying is necessary even with sustainable viticulture
What are the most important Lambrusco varieties?
Lambrusco Salamino
Lambrusco Grasparossa
Lambrusco di Sorbara
What is the most widely planted Lambrusco variety in Emilia-Romagna?
Lambrusco Salamino
Are Lambrusco wines typically varietal or a blend?
A blend of Lambrusco grapes
Describe the profile of Lambrusco Salamino wines
Fragrant, deep colored, and full bodied with high acidity
What DOC is dedicated to Lambrusco Salamino? What are the requirements for this DOC?
Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce DOC
Maximum yield is 133 hL/ha and 85% of the wine must be Lambrusco Salamino
Describe the profile of Lambrusco Grasparossa
Deep colored and full bodied with medium (+) tannins
What kinds of soils does Lambrusco Grasparossa do well on? Where is it likely to be planted?
Grasparossa does best on clay and silt soils. Of the Lambrusco varieties, Grasparossa is most likely to be planted on slopes.
What DOC is dedicated to Lambrusco Grasparossa? What are its requirements?
Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelveltro
Maximum yield of 126 hL/ha and minimum 85% of the grape in the wine
Describe the profile of Lambrusco di Sorbara
Pale colored lighter bodied wines with high acidity
What is Lambrusco di Modena?
A DOC with fairly high yields permitted (161 hL/ha) made from any Lambrusco variety in the area around the town of Modena. The high yields lead to less fruit concentration, acceptable to good quality, and inexpensive pricing.
What is Reggiano Lambrusco?
A DOC for wines made with Lambrusco varieties from the area around Reggio-Emilia. The maximum yield here is 126 hL/ha.
How long is Lambrusco typically macerated? Why?
1-2 days. Lambrusco is rich in anthocyanins and the limited skin contact is able to extract color without drawing large amounts of tannins.
How are fuller bodied, more structured Lambrusco wines produced?
With a maceration of 3-4 days using primarily Lambrusco Grasparossa, producers can draw out more phenolic content from the skins
What sparkling winemaking method is used to produce vast majority of Lambrusco?
Tank method
What temperature is the initial fermentation of Lambrusco carried out at? Why?
18-20⁰C (64.4-68⁰F). This low fermentation temperature retains primary fruit aromas.
Is malolactic conversion blocked or permitted in the production of Lambrusco?
Blocked, so as to preserve the character of the malic acid
What temperature is the secondary fermentation of Lambrusco carried out at? How long does it take?
12-15⁰C (53.6-59⁰F)
It takes two weeks to create frizzante and four weeks for spumante
Is Lambrusco aged on lees?
Most often no to preserve fruit character
Is the sweetness in Lambrusco achieved through dosage, halting fermentation, or blending in must/RCGM?
Either by stopping fermentation or by blending in grape must or RCGM
What advantages does the Lambrusco winemaking process have?
Large volumes of wine can be made quickly and inexpensively
Other than tank method wines, what styles of Lambrusco are also made?
Bottle fermented and traditional method
What is the minimum alcohol required by Lambrusco producing DOCs?
11% for spumante
10.5% for frizzante
7% for any amabile or dolce wines with RS equal to minimum potential alcohol of drier styles
What are the sweetness terms used to describe Lambrusco? What range of RS do they comprise?
Dosaggio Zero (0-3 g/L)
Extra Brut (0-6 g/L)
Brut (0-12 g/L)
Extra Dry (12-17 g/L)
Sec, Secco, Asciutto (17-32 g/L)
Demi-Sec, Abboccato (32-50 g/L)
Dolce (50+ g/L)
True or False
Lambrusco Frizzante has fewer sweetness categories than Spumante and they comprise a broader range of RS
True
What is the average size of properties growing Lambrusco in Emilia-Romagna? What has been the trend in average farm size since 2000? Why?
Less than 3 ha, though average farm size has doubled since 2000. Some growers left the industry, selling their land to other producers.
Do most Lambrusco growers produce their own wine or sell their grapes?
Most take their grapes to be vinified at a cooperative or sell them to large private wineries
How much Lambrusco is exported? How much is consumed locally?
Two thirds are exported, one third domestic
Where in Itsly is Lambrusco typically sold?
In supermarkets and in the hospitality sector.
Higher quality wines may be found in specialist wine shops.
What proportion of sparkling Lambrusco is DOC?
25-30%. The rest is IGT.
What is the major hurdle Lambrusco must overcome? Where does it originate?
Perception of it as a red, sweet, frothy mess derived from high volume, low quality exports in the past. Further, Lambrusco is not a protected name, allowing a range of products to be produced under that banner
