One of my current wine obsessions is lambrusco. As I tell my husband, I love all things that sparkle with diamonds (hint, hint) and champagne is my favorite! I also love red wine. lambrusco is the perfect marriage of red wine and “the sparkle” and has quickly become an obsession. Who other than the Italians could have brought us a sparkling red wine?
This week’s Wine Wednesday is the Bruscus 2009 San Valentino Reggiano lambrusco from Italy ($9.99 at the Artisan Wine Depot in Mountain View, CA), which is a slightly sweet (amiable) lambrusco. This lambrusco comes to us from a small winery in the Emile Romagna region of Italy that can trace its roots back to the 900s, focuses on producing high quality wine and produces a limited number of cases each year. We served this wine with homemade meatballs and red sauce over pasta and it was a heavenly pairing.
The Bruscus 2009 lambrusco was a medium ruby color with a light fizz, low in tannin and medium acidity. The nose and palate had strong red fruit (cranberry, pomegranate, cherry), violets, licorice and an earthy quality. The Bruscus had a medium-long finish. Serve the Bruscus lambrusco chilled.
Give the Bruscus lambrusco a try this summer. Not only is it the perfect wine to accompany Bolognese sauce (a traditional pairing) or spaghetti and meatballs, it is also the perfect pairing for summer BBQ. While lambrusco is relatively low in tannin, the earthiness and bright red fruit is a nice compliment to the smoky BBQ and the chilled sparkler is perfect for summer!
