Above: Alicia Lini poured for tasters in Minneapolis at the Winebow/Leonardo LoCascio Selections Vini d’Italia tasting earlier this week. That’s Alicia with the Winebow tour crew below.

We are very pleased to share the following press released, recently circulated by Winebow/LLS:

LLS (Leonardo LoCascio Selections), a division of Winebow Imports dedicated to premium Italian wines, is pleased to announce that it is the exclusive U.S. importer of Lini, an artisanal, traditional producer of Lambrusco, a sparkling red wine from Emilia-Romagna. Lini joins a portfolio that represents more than 60 wineries throughout Italy.

Lini recently rebranded as Lini910, for 1910, the year that the Lini family first began making Lambrusco. The winery, which also produces traditional balsamic vinegar, was started by Oreste Lini in Correggio, a town in the heart of the Lambrusco production area. Still a family business, it is currently being run by winemaker Fabio Lini and his siblings, Anita and Massimo, with the help of the fourth generation – Alicia, Alessio, and their cousin, Alberto.

Historically, Lambrusco was produced as a crisp, dry wine, which served as an ideal companion to Emilia’s rich cuisine. During the 1970s and 80s, simple, sweet styles became increasingly popular, dominating exports. Despite the commercial difficulties they faced, Lini maintained their traditionally dry style, always pushing for higher quality.

“We are thrilled to be working with Lini,” said Ted Campbell, Senior Vice President and General Manager of LLS. “Over the years, the preferred style of Lambrusco in the marketplace has evolved from sweet, fizzy reds back to dry, earthy styles that offer tremendous value and complexity. Lini has stayed true to this classic, high quality approach from the very beginning, and is now one of the leaders of the Lambrusco renaissance.”

The winery is known for its use of the Champenoise method of second fermentation in bottle, referred to as “metodo classico” in Italy. In fact, when Lini first started to produce wine, the Charmat method (whereby the second fermentation takes place in tank) was still unknown in Italy. Oreste crafted his wines “the French way,” using both methode ancestrale and champenoise. The affection for the latter was passed on generation to generation and is deeply rooted in Lini’s production philosophy. After War World II, the first autoclaves (tanks used in the Charmat method) arrived in Emilia. The family embraced this new vessel but continued to use the metodo classico approach for its top wines.

Today, their entry-level “Labrusca” wines are made using the Charmat method, and ferment slowly in tank for at least 3 months. Their higher-end tier, known as “In Correggio,” includes wines made with both the Charmat method and metodo classico. At the top of the range is the “In Correggio Metodo Classico Rosso,” which is released after 10 years of aging on the lees.

Of the five most commonly found Lambrusco grapes, Lini works primarily with Salamino, which produces particularly balanced wines (stylistically, it lies somewhere between Sorbara, which contributes acidity and fragrance, and Grasparossa, which is known for its body and tannins).

They are one of the few wineries in the region to produce a white version of Lambrusco, made without skin contact.

“I’m excited to be working with LLS, and to continue to promote authentic Lambrusco in the United States,” said Alicia Lini. “Customers here are really starting to understand its affinity for food.”

LLS will import the following wines from Lini: Labrusca Bianco, Labrusca Rosso, Labrusca Rosato, In Correggio Rosso, In Correggio Rosato, and In Correggio Metodo Classico Rosso.