Will Lambrusco, that delightful bubbly red wine from Italy, be the next Prosecco, that delightful white bubbly wine from Italy that took the US by storm nearly 10 years ago?
We’ll see!
In the meantime, the perfect time to check out Lambrusco is today Friday June 21, 2013–the first day of summer and Lambrusco Day!
I was sent a sample of the IL Mionetto Lambrusco so Annie and I opened it up yesterday in anticipation of Lambrusco Day. Annie said,
“This is a lot of fun for 10 Bucks!”
And I agree!
In the glass, this wine has lots of bright color–cranberry and fresh ripe cherries, and it is very festive and sparkly catching the summer sunlight and candlelight. There’s not much to the nose, but it certainly tickles the tongue with its light effervescence. It has a very clear cherry and cola flavor with just a touch of sweetness but not too much.
We paired it with crackers and an herbed mild cheddar cheese but it would be a great brunch or picnic wine, and super easy to open with the bottle cap closure–same as a beer bottle.
As a rule, Lambrusco is always dry or off-dry (not sweet), always red (or rose, not white), and only 11% alcohol. This combination of dry, red and low alcohol makes it work with lots of different food choices: think salami, aged cheeses, and of course, many Italian dishes. In fact,
Lambrusco is my new favorite for pizza instead of beer!
According to press materials,
IL means The in Italian. When Mionetto introduced IL Prosecco in 2002, IL
indeed became the Prosecco, an instant hit with U.S. wine lovers, due in part to an easy-to-open, fun, unpretentious crown cap closure. Wines in Mionetto’s IL line are immediately recognizable by this distinctive crown cap – a traditional form of closure used by Veneto farmers to seal bottles of sparkling wine. Mionetto’s IL collection is all about casual enjoyment, reflecting today’s relaxed, yet adventurous lifestyle — wines to kick-back with, wines for a party. Today the eclectic IL line has expanded to include a gently sweet, flowery Moscato, a cherry-inflected red Lambrusco and the latest entry, IL Spr!z.
Happy Lambrusco Day! Happy Summer Solstice! Happy full moon! Cheers!
wine predator.............. gwendolyn alley 
For what it’s worth, We’ve been selling a ton of Lambrusco & similar ‘Casa Rosa’ for the last couple of years at BevMo; one of our fastest growing categories. I attribute it to the Olive Garden pouring complimentary glasses of labels like Stella Rosa. I can always tell what they are spotlighting based on the requests we get. Just look at what they did for Santa Margarita before tackling Mocato di Asti & Casa Rosa.
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Thanks, Elizabeth, for stopping by and sharing your interesting observations! I’ll be curious to see how this develops. I know a few years ago when I tasted my first “upscale” sparkling AUS shiraz (retail around $50), it blew my socks off! I think if people can get over their trepidation (and memories of cold duck…) they will be happily surprised!
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Reblogged this on art predator and commented:
Happy Summer! Happy Kitty! Happy Huge Moon! Happy Lambrusco Day! Cheers!
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Pingback: Chill Out… with Red Wine! | Pith + Moment
Where cant I get that in Denmark
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