This Season's Fizzy Red Drink

I don't know how it happened, but all of a sudden, Lambrusco, Northern Italy's sparkling red wine is everywhere. Once considered to be too sweet and too 'seventies, the newer, not-so-sweet Lambrusco is appearing on wine cards and wine bars all around Germany. Last week I drank a glass with a large platter of charcuterie, that included cooked ham, prosciutto, salami, soft cheeses and a variety of green olives. It was perfect.

Last month, Eric Asimov, the wine columnist of the New York Times, made a new case for this fun and fizzy wine. He's been a big fan for years, and I'm not the first to notice. Al Dente writer StellaCadente* noticed it 2+ years ago in the post "Going Red". Are you a fan too?

If Lambrusco is new to you, imagine drinking a fruity and frizzy dark red wine. In Italy, Lambrusco is known as a frizzante, a mildly sparkling wine. It's nothing like Champagne, sekt, cava, crmant or prosecco. It's sparkling, but not light, and I love its intense flavor, so unlike other sparkling wines. Chilled, it's turning out to be this summer's sleeper wine. Salute!

--Tracy Schneider

Red Wine Glass

Leave a Comment