Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
est of all
Lambrusco
s, ripens earlier than most,
and reaches its qualitative zenith when grown
on sandy soils. Even though Sorbara's fl ower is
hermaphrodite (as in all cultivated varieties), it
behaves physiologically like a female organ;
hence, Lambrusco di Sorbara needs to be culti-
vated with another
Lambrusco
variety (usually
Lambrusco Salamino) that acts as a pollinator.
This is of paramount importance, for other-
wise, Sorbara does not ripen: in fact, it is
common to fi nd clusters of Lambrusco di Sor-
bara with both ripe red and small green unripe
berries (
millerandage
or asynchronous
maturation).
According to Cosmo and Polsinelli (1962),
four different biotypes of Lambrusco di Sor-
bara were initially described, characterized by,
respectively: spherical berries and red leaves;
spherical berries and green leaves; sub-spher-
ical or oval berries and red leaves; and olive
shaped berries with green leaves. The fourth
is now called Lambrusco Oliva and is no longer
considered a biotype of Lambrusco di Sorbara,
but rather a distinct
Lambrusco
variety,
number 360 in the National Registry. First
described in 1886, this
Lambrusco
has olive-
shaped berries so different from those of other
members of the
Lambrusco
group that some
experts refused to accept it as a
Lambrusco
at
the time of its discovery (Gozzi 2002; see
OTHER LAMBRUSCO VARIETIES entry).
Today, the other three biotypes of Lambrusco
di Sorbara are believed to be expressions of
specific habitats and growing conditions.
Available clones of Lambrusco di Sorbara
include the R4 (the fi rst available, in 1969),
CAB 2V, CAB 21G, and VCR 20 (perhaps the
most interesting).
ers near Modena, though good examples are
also produced around the towns of Correggio,
Rubiera, and San Martino in Rio in the prov-
ince of Reggio Emilia. Other DOC wines that
can be made mostly with this variety include
Modena and Reggiano; IGT wines include Alto
Mincio, Emilia (or dell'Emilia), Forlì, Quistello,
Rubicone, and Sabbioneta, among others.
wines to try:
Cavicchioli*** (Vigna del Cristo
Secco and Vigna del Cristo Rosé), Cleto Chi-
arli*** (Antica Modena Premium), Francesco
Bellei** (Rifermentazione Naturale), Pal-
trinieri*** (Frizzante Etichetta Bianca Fer-
mentazione Naturale and Leclisse), Garuti Elio
& Eredi Garuti Romeo** (Rosa lambrusco di
Sorbara Rosato), and Francesco Vezzelli**. An
archetypal Lambrusco di Sorbara wine is the
Antica Modena Premium by Cleto Chiarli: deli-
cate and lightly fi zzy, with gorgeous redcurrant
and wild strawberry aromas and fl avors sup-
ported by bright acids, I guarantee it will
change your mind about fi zzy reds forever.
Lambrusco Grasparossa
where it's found:
Emilia-Romagna.
national
registry code number:
116.
color:
red.
Lambrusco Grasparossa is also called Lam-
brusco di Castelvetro, or Lambrusco Gras-
parossa di Castelvetro, since its birthplace is the
town of same name near Modena in Emilia-
Romagna. The latter is also the name of the
DOC wine made with this variety. It also grows
in the countryside around the towns of Casal-
grande, Quattro Castelle, and Scandiano near
Reggio Emilia. Recent DNA results have shown
it to be identical to the Scorzamara variety, so
we now know this
Lambrusco
also grows around
Coviolo (Boccacci, Torello Marinoni, Gambino,
Botta, and Schneider 2005). It was first
described by Agazzotti in 1867, who found
the wine had a strong aroma of almond.
Cosmo described four biotypes in 1965: green-
stalked, red-stalked, sparse-clustered, and
compact-clustered. The two biotypes most
planted currently are the red-stalked and the
Which Wines to Choose and Why
Wines to look for are simply labeled Lambrusco
di Sorbara, and the vine, which grows mainly
in the province of Modena (and to a minor
extent around Reggio Emilia) is especially
found in the countryside around Comporto,
Nonantola, and San Prospero. Its
grand cru
area
is located between the Secchia and Panaro riv-
