La Collina, Quaresimo Lambrusco - NV
Fast Facts:
Winemaker(s): Enea Burani / Cooperativa Agricola La Collina
Region: Reggio Emilia → Emilia-Romagna → Italy
Classification: Lambrusco dell'Emilia IGT
Varietal(s): Lambrusco Maestri, Grasparossa, Salamino, Malbo Gentile
Terroir: Calcareous clay loam, 230-foot elevation, continental climate with warm summers
Serving Temp: 50-55°F
The Cooperativa Agricola La Collina started as a social experiment before it was ever a winery. In the early 1970s, a group of young folks from Reggio Emilia returned from community work in Latin America with the dream and motivation to build a farm that functions as an extended family. A place that could take in people recovering from addiction and give them meaningful work, good food, and a way back. They formalized as a cooperative in 1975 and certified biodynamic since 1985, with wine and Parmigiano Reggiano as the cornerstones - the two best things!
Today the co-op makes wine, pasta, honey, sausages, beer, and still runs rehabilitation programs through the work of the farm. Enea, the handsome man above, oversees the winemaking. He's especially known for his love for Lambrusco, and makes it in the way it was made in the region for generations, sweet supermarket bottlings be damned! Nah this one is dry, structured, alive with acid, and the lushness is second to none. The Quaresimo (Italian for Lent, a nod to the forty-day wait before release) blends four traditional Lambrusco varieties, Maestri, Grasparossa, Salamino, and Malbo Gentile, from biodynamically farmed vines on calcareous clay soils.
The Quaresimo sees four- to five-day cold skin maceration, pulling color and structure. Then fermentation kicks off with a small addition of frozen grape must (concentrated juice from the same harvest) rather than added sugar or commercial yeast. The style is frizzante: gentle, softly fizzing sparkling format native to Emilia-Romagna.
Why'd we pick it?
La Collina represents an incredible community highlighted by holistic living and healing, and an agricultural relationship that respects each other and the earth. Always worth a highlight. Annnnnnd, most people who have a bad Lambrusco memory actually had a bad sweet Lambrusco memory: the stuff that arrived in the US in the 1970s and convinced a whole generation to write off the style and grapes entirely. So whenever we have a chance to show off the old style, we love it.
Field Notes
- Tastes like: Blackberry-violet fizz with tart cranberry and cherry. Bone dry with a bit of bitterness on the back, and tannins to scrub that palate clean.
- Serve it straight from the fridge. The fizz brightens as it warms slightly, so feel free to pour and sip slowly.
- Food Pairings: Lambrusco is made for sharing. A salumi board is a classic move: coppa, soppressata, prosciutto, whatever you've got. Add a nice burrata with EVOO. A pork shoulder braised in tomatoes and red wine would also be a nice treat. Or my FAVORITE Lambrusco pairing: a summer tomato tart with homemade ricotta and basil. Ahhhhhh you will be so happy! You'll also be happy with a bowl of cacio e pepe. Cold watermelon and a glass of this on the back porch is also an extremely correct decision.
