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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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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…

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We just had to share these photos sent by a friend of Lini from the Indy 500 last month.

It was a thrill for us to learn that Lini was being served in the spectators Penthouse section at this historic race.

The Indy 500 — also known as Indianapolis 500-Mile Race or the Indianapolis 500 — is the oldest auto race in the world.

It’s run every year on Memorial Day weekend, a holiday that marks the start of the summer season for Americans.

This year’s race, the 103rd, was run on Sunday, May 26, 2019 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Speedway, Indiana. The fabled track is known as the “Brickyard” because it was paved with bricks in 1909.

We couldn’t have been more excited to learn that spectators were enjoying our wines as they watched the race!

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“Few companies successfully play in both the import and distribution businesses like Winebow,” writes veteran wine industry reporter Laura Pelner for Market Watch this month.

“The Virginia-based company is a leader for fine wine and spirits importation and distribution, representing 1,200 producer partners in 20 states and covering 70% of the country’s wine consumption, with revenues totaling $770 million a year. Winebow simultaneously juggles the complexities of multi-state distribution and the dynamics of importing wine from 12 countries, creating a vibrant platform for its supplier partners. The company has changed immensely over the course of its nearly 40-year history, becoming a bicoastal wholesaler and rebranding itself to unify its many different parts under one name. Through it all, a commitment to quality and culture has remained intact, putting Winebow in a unique space that’s hard to match.”

Click here to read the complete article (now online), the cover story this month for Market Watch, one of the wine industry’s leading trade publications.

The Lini winery couldn’t be more thrilled to be part of the Winebow family. It’s a new and exciting chapter for the estate, which spans four generations of the Lini family.

Congratulations to our friends and partners at Winebow!

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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.

Continue reading →

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“The Bacchanalia,” writes Daniel Kriger this week for PUNCH, “was born out of the challenge to create a cocktail that would transcend rules and traditional flavor profiles to appeal to all types of drinkers.”

One of the cocktail’s ingredients is Lambrusco, “preferably Lini” he specifies.

Click here for the recipe.

Increasingly, mixologists across the U.S. have been using Lambrusco as an ingredient in the new cocktails they are creating.

We couldn’t have been more thrilled to see Lini mentioned in PUNCH, the leading online journal in the U.S. today for cocktails and wine.

Image via PUNCH.

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For those of you attending Vinitaly this year, we hope to see you at the Lini stand: Hall 3, Stand C6.

The Lini family couldn’t be more thrilled to share the news that its wines are now imported to the U.S. by Winebow-Leonardo LoCascio Selections — the leading importer of Italian wines in America.

Founded in 1980, Winebow has reshaped the Italian wine market in the U.S. by introducing some of Italy’s most iconic wineries to American restaurateurs, retailers, and consumers. Today, its distribution network is considered the gold standard among Italian wine trade members and observers.

“Each wine in the collection tells a unique story about the family and region that produced it. A taste through the portfolio is a journey across Italy’s rich spectrum of geography, history, and culture” (from the Winebow-Leonardo LoCascio Selections website).

Lini will take part this year in the Winebow-Leonardo LoCascio Selections Vini d’Italia tour in May and the wines, which have already landed in the U.S., will be available shortly.