Grape Groups and Families - Native Wine Grapes of Italy - page 62

the wine can include up to 85 percent of four
different Lambrusco varieties (Salamino, Maes-
tri, Marani, and Viadanese). Besides Lam-
brusco Mantovano, this variety can also be part
of the DOC Reggiano Lambrusco. IGT blends
include Emilia (or dell'Emilia), Forlì, Quistello,
Ravenna, Rubicone, and Sabbioneta, and
others.

tity-oriented farmers—this despite the fact that
it was a very botrytis-resistant grape. The
monovarietal Lambrusco Barghi wines I have
managed to taste were homemade for mainly
personal consumption and were deeply colored,
with a defi nite, aromatic, muscat-like quality
on the nose, intense tannins, and saline fl avors
of black cherry, raspberry, licorice, and hints of
roast coffee, with medium levels of acidity on
the palate. Meglioraldi, Masini, Storchi, and
Vingione (2008) found similar aromas in their
research studies. Today the variety is mainly
used in the DOC Reggiano Lambrusco and
Colli di Scandiano blends and IGT wines such
as Emilia and Ravenna; the only “offi cial”
monovarietal example I know of was made
recently by the Cinque Campi estate (a fi ve-
hundred-bottle trial of a very interesting wine
that I hope will continue to be made).
Recent genetic testing has shown that Lam-
brusco di Corbelli (not offi cially listed in the
National Registry) is identical to neither Lam-
brusco Barghi nor Lambrusco di Rivalta (Pizzi
was the fi rst, in 1891, to consider it a synonym for
the latter). This variety's name derives from that
of the noble Corbelli family, and since, in the
1960s, it was cultivated mainly on their estates of
Rivalta and Castelnovo di Sotto, this explains its
mistaken identity as Lambrusco di Rivalta.
Unlike Lambrusco Barghi, Lambrusco Corbelli's
grape bunch is most often conical and loosely-
packed, and unlike that variety, there is no red-
dish tinge to the leaf whatsoever; it also ripens
early, around mid-September, while Lambrusco
Barghi usually ripens at the end of September.
Another Lambrusco beauty is the little-
known Lambrusco di Fiorano , so called because
it grows abundantly around Fiorano near
Modena. It's another rare Lambrusco that can
be found growing on hillside vineyards. The
cluster is medium-sized and the berries are
quite large; it's susceptible to most vine pests.
The wine is harmonic, complex, and altogether
satisfying. It is most often used in blends with
other Lambrusco s.
Lambrusco Montericco (National Registry
code number 119), grown in the area around

wines to try: The following are essentially
Lambrusco Mantovano wines that use a large
quantity of Lambrusco Viadanese: Alberto and
Giacomo Scaroni*** (Lambrusco Viadanese;
an excellent wine that is almost entirely Lam-
brusco Viadanese, with only 7 percent Ancel-
lotta added) and Pagliari Verdieri*** (Lam-
brusco Mantovano Viadanese Sabbioneta).

Other Lambrusco Varieties Worth Knowing
(and Some Not)

A rare but high-quality Lambrusco variety is
Lambrusco Barghi (National Registry code
number 404), often called simply “Bardi” by
locals, perhaps in honor of an ancient noble
family that cultivated it. Until recently, it was
thought to be synonymous with Lambrusco di
Rivalta or Lambrusco Corbelli, and though
you'll still read that in topics and websites, it is
not. In fact, these latter two varieties are dis-
tinct as well. It's easy to confuse the three since
they look alike and share not just the same pro-
duction zone but even the same vineyards—co-
planting of the varieties was commonplace in
the Canali di Reggio Emilia, Albinea, and
Rivalta areas. Lambrusco Barghi is character-
ized by leaves that have reddish veins (Lam-
brusco di Rivalta does not), medium-large
pyramidal bunches ranging from medium- to
loosely-packed, and round berries. I fi nd Lam-
brusco Barghi often has an almost overfull look
compared to other Lambrusco s. Though it is
rustic and adaptable (it used to grow all over the
region), locals tell me that most people couldn't
be bothered with this Lambrusco because its
thick skin and juice-defi cient berries meant
less wine, always a no-no in the minds of quan-