Lambrusco Wine: Sparkling Sass from Emilia-Romagna

If Lambrusco were a person, it would be that one mate who was the laughingstock of sixth form but somehow became wildly attractive and successful at 35, with a house in Lisbon and a dog named Cosimo. Everyone pretended not to like them, but secretly… they did. That’s Lambrusco: the fizzy Italian wine you mocked in the ’90s but are now pretending you’ve always respected.

Because here’s the thing—Lambrusco wine used to be the punchline. A syrupy red fizz poured into tumblers at dodgy pizzerias, or worse, bought in plastic bottles by your nan who thought it was “a bit posh.” But fast forward a few decades, and suddenly it’s the darling of natural wine bars, sommeliers, and anyone who’s bored of taking wine too seriously.

So yes, Lambrusco is back. And this time, it brought actual flavour.

The Comeback Kid of Italian Wine

Let’s not sugar-coat it—Lambrusco has had a rough PR ride. In the 1970s and ’80s, it was mass-produced, overly sweet, and shipped out of Italy by the tanker load, mostly to unsuspecting Americans and Brits who didn’t know any better. It became synonymous with cheap and cheerful… minus the cheerful.

But the Lambrusco wine of today? It’s having a glow-up of epic proportions.

Modern producers have returned to traditional dry and semi-sparkling styles, working with better grapes, less sugar, and actual care. Suddenly, people are realising what Italians knew all along: that Lambrusco can be fresh, complex, and absurdly food-friendly. It’s got the acidity to cut through fat, the bubbles to refresh your palate, and the vibe of someone who genuinely doesn’t care what you think—which is, frankly, the sexiest quality a wine can have.

A Brief History of Bubbles and Bad Reputations

Lambrusco isn’t new. In fact, it’s ancient. Like, Roman-empire ancient. The grape has been cultivated in Emilia-Romagna for over 2,000 years, which means it was probably fuelling toga parties before Nero even picked up a lyre.

There are over 60 varieties of Lambrusco grapes, many of them indigenous to specific towns and hillsides. But somewhere between Caesar and supermarket shelves, Lambrusco became diluted—not just in taste but in reputation. The industrialised stuff took over, and the real, rustic, bone-dry Lambrusco became a footnote.

But that’s changing now. With DOCs like Lambrusco di Sorbara, Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro, and Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce stepping up their game, the region is reclaiming its fizz—and its pride.

If Prosecco is the bubbly you drink when you’re not sure what to drink, Lambrusco is the one you reach for when you know exactly what you’re doing.

What Lambrusco Wine Actually Tastes Like When It’s Not Awful

Let’s set the record straight: Lambrusco is not just one taste.

Real Lambrusco can be:

• Dry and savoury, with tart cherry, violet, and herbal notes

• Bright and fruity, like wild strawberries doing the Macarena

• Inky and tannic, with plums, dark chocolate, and a finish that bites back

• Light and floral, with refreshing bubbles and a whisper of bitterness

There’s a spectrum. And that spectrum does not include Blue Nun with bubbles.

Lambrusco di Sorbara, for instance, is light, elegant, and dry—like a red rosé that doesn’t care for labels. Grasparossa, on the other hand, is the bold one: darker, richer, and more structured, often clocking in closer to a red wine with sparkle than a sparkling red.

Whatever the style, the good stuff shares two things in common: crisp acidity and freshness. Lambrusco is wine that doesn’t sit still. It zips. It dances. It fizzes through your mouth like a sarcastic comment you were just about to say out loud.

The Grape Gang: Not Just One Lambrusco

One of Lambrusco’s biggest identity crises is the fact that it isn’t just one grape. “Lambrusco” is more of a family name—like the Kardashians, if the Kardashians were tart, effervescent, and went well with mortadella.

Some of the key characters include:

• Lambrusco di Sorbara – The lightest and most aromatic, often vinified dry with rose petal vibes and a bright cranberry zing. If this grape were a person, it would wear linen and have opinions about natural wine.

• Lambrusco Grasparossa – Bold, tannic, and full of dark fruit, this is the brooding poet of the group. It’s got body, spice, and enough fizz to keep things interesting.

• Lambrusco Salamino – A solid all-rounder. More fruit than Sorbara, less brawn than Grasparossa. Like a good second date.

• Lambrusco Maestri and Marani – Less common but add richness and depth to blends. Think supporting characters who sometimes steal the show.

Each one brings something different to the glass, but together, they’re rewriting Lambrusco’s reputation faster than you can say “semi-secco.”

Why You’ve Been Drinking It Wrong This Whole Time

Here’s the uncomfortable truth: most people think they don’t like Lambrusco because they’ve never actually drunk proper Lambrusco. They’ve drunk cheap, over-sweetened party fuel served warm in sad little cups, often alongside a “sharing” pizza that was, let’s be honest, never meant to be shared.

Real Lambrusco isn’t just a wine—it’s a cultural event. And like all cultural events, it suffers when removed from its context and plopped in front of someone in a Tesco car park.

In Emilia-Romagna, Lambrusco is chilled. It’s poured into real glasses. It’s enjoyed with food. It’s dry more often than not. It’s acidic, alive, and crackling with attitude. And it’s served the way the wine gods intended: with salumi, with laughter, with zero pretension.

So no, Lambrusco isn’t the drink of your slightly tipsy auntie at Christmas. Or at least—it doesn’t have to be.

Lambrusco and Food: Pizza, Prosciutto, and Other Life Choices

If there were a wine designed in a lab to go with Italian food, Lambrusco would be it.

Its acidity cuts through oil.
Its bubbles clean your palate.
Its fruitiness plays well with everything from cheese to meat to that third helping of carbonara you promised you wouldn’t touch.

Some brilliant matches:

• Prosciutto di Parma or Mortadella – Fat meets fizz. You win.

• Pizza with tomato sauce – Especially Margherita or anything with mushrooms.

• Lasagne – That Bolognese sauce was practically created for a sip of Lambrusco.

• Parmigiano Reggiano – Dry Lambrusco and nutty aged cheese? Power couple.

• Fried things – Chicken. Courgette. Your resolve. Lambrusco handles it all.

Even spicier Asian cuisine (Sichuan, Korean BBQ, Thai noodles) works if you pick a slightly off-dry Lambrusco with fruit and freshness. Basically, if the food is intense, salty, fatty, or savoury, Lambrusco is your plus-one.

This is wine that doesn’t flinch when garlic shows up to the party.

The Best Bottles to Buy That Won’t Ruin Your Reputation

Here’s the best part: great Lambrusco doesn’t cost £40 a bottle. In fact, most of the good stuff clocks in around £10–£20, which is frankly miraculous when you consider how bad wine at that price point usually is.

Look out for:

• Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC – Light, dry, and floral. Lovely as an aperitif or with light fare.

• Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOC – Bold, dark, and a bit moody. Perfect with hearty dishes or grilled meat.

• Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce DOC – Balanced, fruity, and reliable. The one you bring to dinner parties when you don’t want to explain yourself too much.

• Cleto Chiarli – One of the most consistent and widely available producers doing real justice to Lambrusco.

• Paltrinieri – Especially their Sorbara styles. Stylish, crisp, and classy with just the right amount of weird.

Just check the label for terms like “secco” (dry), “semisecco” (off-dry), and avoid anything that doesn’t tell you its DOC or producer. If it just says “Lambrusco” and looks like it came from a petrol station, it probably tastes like it too.

Bonus points if the wine is actually from Emilia-Romagna and not pretending to be.

Final Sip: Why Lambrusco Wine Deserves a Permanent Fridge Spot

 

Lambrusco wine used to be the butt of every wine joke. Now? It’s the comeback queen.

It’s fizzy but not fussy. Fruity but not fake. It’s got backbone, bubble, and the boldness to be red and sparkling in a world obsessed with pale rosé and Prosecco.

And perhaps most importantly, it’s fun. Remember fun? That thing we used to have before wine got all solemn and serious and started talking about terroir and verticals? Lambrusco never forgot. Lambrusco’s been waiting for us to stop pretending we were too good for it.

So pop it in the fridge. Pour it into a proper glass. Pair it with something oily, salty, or sinful. And when your snobbiest friend raises an eyebrow, pour them one too. You’ll convert them. You always do.

Lambrusco wine isn’t just back—it never left. You were just drinking the wrong one.