Lambrusco: Times are changing.
Lambrusco does not enjoy the best of reputations, either at home or abroad. This sad but true state of affairs is mostly due to power plays and marketing: Production is dominated by cooperative wineries that pay their suppliers by the ton. Thus most farmers produce as much as they can because volume, not quality, makes for higher earnings. The problem of high yields has been compounded by the decision of the cooperatives to make their lives easier by moving the vineyards down off the hills onto the flatlands, where the vines are planted in widely spaced rows, trained high off the ground to give tractors easy access. How do they get the high production? From 30-foot-long shoots 10 feet above the ground that extend towards the adjacent rows on either side (seen from a distance the vines look very much like the ribbed framework of a steel shed). This is a far cry from the densely planted vineyards one finds on the hillsides of Italy's great wine-producing regions, and the wine produced is what one might expect.
However, things are changing. About 20 years ago Medici Ermete, one of Reggio Emilia's oldest Lambrusco producers, decided to grow its own grapes for its top-line wines rather than buy must from the cooperatives. "We were able to grow and press to our specifications," says Alberto Medici. "And we were able to replant our vineyards for quality." They're still on the flat because the soil, coarse alluvium, provides excellent drainage, but to much higher densities (4000 vines/hectare) that allow the individual vines to concentrate their energies into just a few bunches of grapes.
What happens to these high quality grapes following the harvest? The initial fermentation is quite traditional; the must goes into vertical steel tanks where yeasts convert the sugars to alcohol, and the fermented wine macerates on the skins for a certain time (depends from year to year) to extract color and aromatic compounds. The wine is then filtered and moved to an autoclave where a second lot of must is added. With more sugar available fermentation resumes, but this time the CO2 produced is collected and stored. Depending upon the type of Lambrusco desired (dry or sweet) the fermentation is either allowed to run its course or interrupted by chilling before the sugars are all converted into alcohol; it is then filtered, bottled, and very briefly pasteurized to keep whatever sugar remains from refermenting in the bottles.
This is, as Alberto points out, a technologically intense process
and quite expensive; Medici Ermete would be unable to afford to make these
wines if they didn't also produce close to eight million bottles of more
everyday Lambrusco from purchased must every year. The quaffing wines are, as a
group, good honest wines. Nothing to get really excited about, but a cut above
most of the supermarket Lambrusco sold in Italy.
The flagship Lambruschi are a completely different matter. As a group they are remarkably approachable wines that will do very well with people who are not wine drinkers. But they're not just for the neophyte; given the proper setting they will astonish connoisseurs as well. Put simply, they are a fantastic foil for food.
Medici Lambrusco Rosato is a pale salmon, with lightly sparkling white foam. The bouquet is elegant, with honeysuckle, strawberries and wisteria laced with breadcrumbs -- a surprisingly complex and pleasant combination. On the palate the wine is full, with good sweetness nicely balanced by ample fruit, and a persistent strawberry finish that takes on citrus as well with time. It will be excellent chilled, as an aperitif, or with light antipasti.
Medici Lambrusco DOC Reggiano Secco is a pretty ruby color, with a light sparkle; the bouquet is vinous with some berry fruit laced with violets. On the palate it's moderately full, not tannic, and has a nice touch of sweetness that melds well with an impressive fruitiness. The finish is moderately persistent, and quite clean, with some fruit. This is the perfect wine for a picnic, with cold cuts and mild cheeses, or also pasta dishes with cream sauces. Looking further afield, its low tannin levels and nice fruit will make it an attractive match for oriental cuisines, especially Thai.
Medici Lambrusco DOC Reggiano Dolce is made from purchased must. It's a deep purple red with pink foam, and has a sweet floral bouquet laced with fruit and wisteria. On the palate it's delicate and sweet, with nice fruit and a clean fresh finish. To be frank it's not a food wine -- but it will be ideal as an aperitif, and will be hard to beat on a hot afternoon by the pool.
Finally, there is Concerto: "When I offer
Lambrusco at wine shows people look doubtful," says Alberto, "but then they
come back for more." And well they should; a sip and you will understand why
Lambrusco won medals in Paris exhibitions before the vineyards migrated down
from the hills. The wine is a deep red with pale pink foam, and has a powerful
vinous bouquet laced with violets and berry fruit. On the palate it's full,
dry, and loaded with fruit, especially raspberries and blackberries. It's also
very clean, and has a warm persistent finish with pleasing acidity. It will go
wonderfully with Reggio Emilia's great cold cuts (prosciutto di Parma, salame
di Felino, Coppa di Parma, and the Culatello Burton Anderson describes in his
wonderful book on Italian cooking), with rich pasta
dishes, especially those with white sauces, and also with braised or
grilled white meats (for example, Vittorio's Pollo alla Griglia). It will go just as well, I
think, with grilled sausages and other highpoints of the summer barbecue, be
the seasoning mild or spicy. This is definitely a wine to look out
for.
Concerto has done more than just catch the attention of connoisseurs: It has also caught the attention of other vintners in the area, and now many who used to buy must from the cooperatives are planting their own grapes, or renting vineyards to get just what they want. Some are also moving back up onto the slopes, and this opens an interesting parenthesis: While at Vinitaly this year (1988) I tasted a number of other Lambruschi in Emilia Romagna's stand and was generally unimpressed. However, the last night of the show I met Massimo Gibellini. When I stopped at his stand the next day he said, "I hope you won't be taken back to discover I make Lambrusco." I wasn't; his Tenuta Pederanza Lambrusco di Castelvetero Grasparossa, from an old hillside vineyard, is very good. It's a beautiful deep ruby, and though just bottled already had a delicate floral bouquet. On the palate it was mildly sweet, round, with rich fruit and nice structure that gave way to a pleasant, clean tannic finish with berry fruit notes. Again, a wine to look out for, which will do wonders for Emilian standbys such as tortellini in broth.
Medici Ermete has the resources necessary to produce enough very good Lambrusco to make a splash and catch people's attention, while Massimo Gibellini's wine shows that similar quality can be achieved by smaller estates that work well. Things are definitely looking up for Lambrusco.
Never made tortellini in broth? Here's the recipe I occasionally use:
Tortellini in Brodo
The difference between cappelletti, from Modena, and tortellini, from Bologna, lies in the stuffing and not in the form. According to the Modenese, cappelletti are shaped like hats, while Giuseppe Cerri, the man the Bolognese credit with the happy invention of the tortellino, claimed to have been inspired by a vision of Venus’s navel. The Bolognese do have a reputation for having fun.
If you plan to serve tortellini in broth, you should have 1.5 to 2 quarts of meat broth handy. Bullion won’t do them justice.
- For the stuffing, you will need
- 1/4 pound turkey breast, finely sliced
- 1/4 pound veal, finely sliced
- 2 ounces prosciutto, finely sliced
- 2 ounces Mortadella di bologna, finely sliced (If you can’t find Mortadella, substitute Bologna bought in a delicatessen for it.)
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 3 tablespoons of grated Parmigiano
- 3 tablespoons dry white wine
- 1 egg
- A pinch of nutmeg
- Salt and pepper
- You will also need a pound of fresh store-made pasta, in sheets (or you can make your own, using 2 3/4 cups flour, 2 eggs, and a pinch of salt)
Melt the butter in a large frying pan, add the turkey
and the veal, and cook for about twenty minutes over a medium flame, sprinkling
the meat with the wine. When the meat’s done, remove it from the pan,
leaving the drippings (turn the flame off). Mince the meat in a food processor
along with the Mortadella and the prosciutto.
Return the meat mixture to the pan, along with the cheese, egg, and nutmeg. Mix thoroughly and check seasoning.
You can either use store-bought fresh pasta or make your own, by combining 2 3/4 cups flour, 2 eggs, a pinch of salt, and, if need be, a spoonful of water -- knead the dough till its smooth and elastic, about 20 minutes, and then divide it into two pieces. Roll one out till it’s as thin as a dime (you may need to thin the store-bought pasta too) and cut it into 1 1/2-inch squares with a serrated pasta wheel. Put a half-teaspoon of filling on each square and fold the squares diagonally to make triangles, tamping them well so the filling won’t come out while they’re cooking. Wrap each triangle around your little finger, giving it a half twist so the tip stands up, and stick the opposing corners together. Set the finished tortellini on to rest on a lightly floured surface. When you’re done with the first sheet, roll out the second and continue until the stuffing is used up.
Bring 1.5 quarts of broth to a boil, gently cook the tortellini till they’re done (the pasta should be al dente, about 5 minutes), and serve, with grated cheese. Each diner should get between 12 and 18 tortellini depending upon how big you made them, and this recipe will feed four.
Note: If you are pressed for time, you can prepare the stuffing a day or two ahead and keep it in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.
A printer-friendly version of this recipe.
To close, I also tasted a couple of Medici Ermete white wines, both made from Malvasia. The fist is Daphne, Malvasia DOC Colli di Scandiano, which is a pale gold and has an extraordinary bouquet with violets, lavender, wisteria, golden delicious apples of the kind that smell of bananas, and a host of other things. On the palate it's surprisingly dry, mild, and medium bodied, with a pleasant sweetness that gives way to a characteristic, slightly eucaliptisy finish that sounds odd but works quite well. It will go nicely with cold cuts, pastas with cream sauces or stuffed pasta, fish (especially crustaceans), and white meats.
Nebbie d'Autunno is a dessert wine that's similar in some respects to a good Moscato. The bouquet has an extraordinary mix of floral notes; on the palate it is sweet but not cloying, with a delicate honeyed finish, and quite full. It will go wonderfully with delicate pastries, or walnuts. Well worth seeking out. Where to find these wines? I'm not certain who imports Massimo Gibellini's wines to the US, but Vino Frizzante.Com will tell you where to find Alberto's wines, and if you want to know more, you can visit Alberto's site.
Finally, should you visit Reggio Emilia, which boasts many beautiful castles and some of the finest cooking in the world, consider stopping at Medici Ermete. Call ahead on +39 522 942135 to let them know you are coming, exit the A1 autostrada at Reggio Emilia, and take the tangenziale towards Parma; it will flow into SS9, the old roman Via Aemilia. Follow the road past cheesers who sell Parmigiano Reggiano, until you reach the town of Gaida. Medici Ermete is the second Medici winery, in a green building to the right after a gas station. It's an impressive stop.
Good Food &
Drink,
Kyle Phillips
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