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It’s always exciting to learn that someone liked your wine. It’s even more exciting when that person happens to be one of your favorite bloggers, Cara Rutherford, author of Caravino, one of the leading wine blogs out there (with a focus often on Italian wine).

Here’s what Cara had to say about the Lini Labrusca Rosé”

    right ruby red in colour, with aromas of cherry, candied violet and watermelon. Juicy cranberry, red currant, strawberry, cherry, melon and herbs with a squeeze of citrus glide atop consistent fizz. Clean minerality and bright acidity sparkle, whilst a savoury edge compliments the caramel apple finish. So fruity, so refreshing, a fizzy summer essential.

Click here for the complete review, including notes on the winery and winemaking philosophy.

Thank you, Cara!

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The following editorial reflects the views of our American blogmaster Jeremy Parzen.

Late last month, the venerable local masthead Gazzetta di Modena published an “opinion” piece with the following title: “Lambrusco vs. champagne [sic]: Lambrusco will soon take the lead.”

The author, Paride Rabitti, who goes by the Twitter handle “Lambruscologist,” writes: “Lambrusco di Sorbara [is] the most refined and most worthy competitor for French bubbles.”

“If we continue to produce high-quality classic method Lambrusco…,” he contends, “in a few decades people will talk about [Lambrusco di Sorbara] with the same deference with which they look to our French cousins in Champagne.”

(Translation mine.)

Wine writer Lisa Foletti reacted to the piece in her own op-ed published this week by the popular Italian wine blog Intravino.

“There’s no question that there are some truly interesting classic method Sorbara [wines] out there,” she writes, “very refined and complex… But the value of these products doesn’t lie in their resemblance to Champagne. It’s the opposite: The thing that makes them so good to drink is the uniqueness of the grape variety and the terroir.”

(Translation mine.)

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

As a longtime observer of the sparkling wine trade, I’ve seen this time and time again: Wine writers and wine lovers just can’t resist comparing (and confusing) a method with a wine.

Like many progressive Lambrusco producers, Lini makes a classic method Lambrusco. It’s delicious, it’s complex, and it’s a cut above the rest (read this excellent tasting note for the 2005 Lini Lambrusco Metodo Classico by Alberto Lupetti, Italy’s leading expert on sparkling wine).

But the point of this wine is not to make the “Champagne of Lambruscos” (my Italian colleagues are probably unaware of the vintage marketing campaign for Miller High Life beer, “the Champagne of Beers”).

The idea behind this wine is to explore and reveal Lambrusco’s immense potential to deliver distinctive and compelling wines.

Winemaker Fabio Lini and his family are huge fans of Champagne. They often drink Champagne at home and they make classic method Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, unfortunately not available in the U.S. (yet).

But their classic method Lambrusco isn’t trying to compete with Champagne.

It’s an expression of their viticulture and their terroir. Not someone else’s. Theirs.

And it represents a new and exciting chapter in the ever evolving history of and future for Lambrusco. It’s not the result of competition. It’s the fruit of good taste.

Jeremy Parzen

The views espoused here are my own.

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Here’s what Minneapolis-based wine blogger Carin Skowronsky had to say about Lini Lambrusco in a recent post on her wonderful site, Pairs Well With… Thank you, Carin, for taking time out to taste with Alicia and for the kind words!

If there’s a line of Lambrusco that I’m getting behind and absolutely love, it’s the Lini 910 and Lini Charmat wines. A couple of months back, I had a chance to meet winemaker Alicia Lini and taste her entire portfolio of wines. I was blown away. These wines were easily a game changer. Not only were her wines top notch, but it was amazing to hear her story, as well as the background of her winery and the production behind the bottle. These are well worth watching out for at your local bottle shop. Brilliant wines all around.

There’s something interesting that happened in Italy a while back. Italian winemakers in this region were expected to make Lambrusco “the American way,” which meant the overly sweet sugar bomb I described earlier. Italian winemakers, such as Alicia and her family, stood their ground, trusted their production and continued making authentic Lambrusco. As far as I’m concerned, the smart ones finish first. This wine is the bomb.

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Dave McIntyre is one of the top wine writers working in the U.S. today. And his wine column for the Washington Post is one of the country’s most respected resources for wine criticism. Last week, he awarded the Lini Lambrusco Labrusca Rosé three out of three stars — his top rating!

Lini 910 Labrusca Rosé NV
Three out of Three Stars

Lambrusco, a light-bodied, sparkling red, is Italy’s surprise partner to pizza, barbecue and charcuterie. This is the first rosé Lambrusco I’ve tried, and it’s a delight. Flavors of watermelon, strawberry and wild herbs make for a refreshing patio pounder, and if you’re not careful, you may finish it before the food is ready. And there are bubbles! This wine is new to the market, but it should get wider availability, especially if customers aren’t skeptical about trying a pink Lambrusco.

Dave McIntyre
Washington Post
June 2019

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Thank you Joseph Hernandez, Thrillist senior travel editor, for this amazing recommendation!

Here’s what he had to say about Lini Lambrusco Labrusca Rosso, one of his top picks for Lambrusco in the U.S. today:

“Tiny bubbles and a bitter edge, like orange pith, make this a nice aperitif, to drink with stinky cheeses and charcuterie. Soft-textured, it tastes of black cherry, cola, and really ripe blackberries.”

Thank you, Joseph!

Click here for the complete article.

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Andrea Scanzi is one of Italy’s leading political essayists, wine writers, television personalities, and gourmets (see the Wikipedia entry on Andrea here).

Here’s what he had to say about Lini’s Lambrusco Metodo Classico nearly 10 years ago. The rest is history…

The family’s Metodo Classic Lambrusco, he wrote, “is made using [Lambrusco] Salamino grapes. I find it to be one of the most elegant and winning wagers by a Reggio Emilia winery ever undertaken. It’s even more fascinating than some of their classic method wines” made from conventional grapes.

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As spring blends into summer, with July 4 right around the corner, a lot of you will be breaking out the grill to cook your favorite cut of steak.

When it comes to summer grills, often served al fresco, one of our favorite pairings for grilled beef is Lambrusco.

A lot of people don’t realize that Lambrusco is actually a tannic grape: The tannin, combined with the freshness and bright fruit of the wine, makes it the perfect summer grill wine. Especially as the weather gets warmer and you crave refreshing wines to accompany your food, Lambrusco strikes the perfect balance between structure, food-friendliness, and versatility.

So the next time you fire up the grill for your favorite cut, take a bottle of Lini out for a spin! We know you’re going to love it…