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Above: Alicia Lini shows off a classic method wine as it ages in bottle.

Despite the fact that we are living during a global wine renaissance, when there is more information about wine and winemaking available to consumers and professionals than ever before, there is still a lot of confusion regarding sparkling wine production.

Part of our mission here at the Lini Lambrusco USA blog is to help fans of our wines navigate the often complicated landscape of sparkling wine across the world.

So let’s begin with some basics.

Nearly all sparkling wine is made by fermenting the wine twice, the second time in a pressurized environment. CO2 is a natural byproduct of fermentation. And so when you ferment wine in a pressurized environment, the CO2 is captured and it gives the wines their bubbles.

There are two primary methods employed by sparkling winemakers.

tank method

The tank method is often called the Charmat method by English speakers (the name comes from the Frenchman, Eugène Charmat, who patented a new model of pressurized stainless steel vat for the production of sparkling wine in 1907). In Italy, it is also called the Martinotti method after the Italian professor who perfected it in the 20th century.

A still wine is produced, called the “base” wine. It is then re-fermented in pressurized, temperature-controlled vats.

classic method

The classic method is also known as the traditional method. It’s exactly the same as the Champagne method. But in accordance with European law, “Champagne method” can only be used in Champagne, France where the eponymous wines are produced.

A still wine is produced (the base wine). The wine is then re-fermented in bottles.

There’s a lot more to both methods. But this is a great place to start.

Lini makes both tank method and classic method Lambrusco. And it also produces classic method Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

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From the department of “just in case you were wondering”…

We know that the Romans used the word Lambrusco.

In ancient Latin, it appears as lambruscum or labrusca. It denoted “wild grape varieties” and can be found in the works of writers like Pliny and Columella.

But the earliest known mention in the Italian language dates back to the early 14th century when Bolognese jurist and agriculturalist writer Pietro de’ Crescenzi used it to refer to the specific grape variety. At least so it is believed (according to top Italian lexicographers).

Images via the Wikipedia entry for Pietro de’ Crescenzi.

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Next year, the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Colorado will celebrate its 40th year!

The Lini family would like to share our heartfelt thanks with American wine writer Wanda Mann and the editors of the Food & Wine magazine for including Lini’s wines in Wanda’s seminars at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Colorado this month.

That’s Wanda, one of our favorite U.S. wine writers, below left, with Winebow director of public relations David Greenberg.

It seems like a dream come true to have our wines presented at this legendary gathering of the worlds top food and wine professionals and celebrities.

Thank you Wanda! And thank you Winebow for making it possible! Alicia hopes to be there next year.

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That’s Alicia, above, with Leonardo LoCascio, Italian wine industry legend and friend to Lini 910, in Correggio this week. Leonardo is one of the greatest pioneers of our industry. And he’s also been a cherished mentor to Alicia. His company had never carried a Lambrusco until Leonardo selected Lini 910 to be part of Winebow’s select portfolio.

The following is a post devoted to the maestro, published originally in 2019.

Be sure to check out Alicia’s new Instagram, @InMyLambruscoShoes, where Alicia documents her travels, work, and family life.

*****

LoCascio is widely considered to have been one of the main architects of the Italian wine renaissance in the U.S. during the late 1980s and 1990s.

It was way back in the 1970s that he had a vision of bringing top Italian wines to north America. At the time, Italian wine wasn’t considered “fine wine” in the U.S. And the historic estates that he brought to this country for the first time played a fundamental role in reshaping American consumers’ attitudes about and perceptions of Italian wine here.

Many in the Italian wine trade don’t realize it but he also revolutionized the way that Italian wine was shipped and imported to the U.S. His model for shipping and customs consolidation radically changed the way business was done here, in no small part because his “DI” (direct importing) model reduced the importer’s costs significantly. As a result, high end Italian wine became much more affordable in this market. Today, his DI model is the industry standard in a field that continues to expand some forty years after he founded Winebow (1980).

Winebow remains the premier importer of Italian wines in the U.S., legacy that spans a generation. But LoCascio never imported a Lambrusco — ever. Lini Lambrusco is the first Lambrusco that Winebow has ever imported. And the Lini couldn’t be more honored or more excited by this new chapter in their family’s history.

Chapeau bas, Leonardo! You are a pioneer, a visionary, and an Italian wine original! Thank you for everything you have done for Italian wine in the U.S. over the decades. Without you, none of us would be here today.

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First of all, THANK YOU to everyone who came by the Lini 910 stand at Vinitaly in Verona last week!

It was a great fair and it was great to be back in-person. And it was wonderful to see so many good friends whom we haven’t been able to hug in WAY too long!

In other BIG news, Alicia has a new Instagram: @inmylambruscoshoes.

Please visit her new feed for photos from Lini 910’s Vinitaly. And please follow! We’re so excited to see more of Alicia and her travels on social media.

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Today’s #CanadaLove shout-out goes out to City Cellars in Edmonton, Alberta.

Not only do they keep the good wine flowing. But they also advocate for great causes.

Today, they are offering a discount on “pink drinks” to raise awareness of Pink Shirt Day, an anti-bullying campaign.

Here at Lini 910, we love pink wine. And we can’t think of a better way to put wine to work for a worthy cause.

Thank you City Cellars for your support of our wines. And thank you for what you do for our community.

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Last year the Calgary Co-Op celebrated 65 years of serving its community.

“It is very, very important to focus on financial sustainability,” said Co-Op CEO Ken Keelor in an interview published in December. “You can have all the heart and wonderful culture and all of that stuff, but if you are not financially sustainable you’re done. You can’t serve your community. You can’t serve anyone. I think where a lot of companies, especially those that are sort of much more socially focused like we are, can lose their focus is where the management team, leadership and board, lose track of the fact that you have to be financially sustainable.”

The Co-Op has more than 440,000 members and 30 wine, spirits, and beer locations.

We couldn’t be more proud to be part of this amazing community! Thank you Calgary Co-Op for your support!

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“Ever find yourself wandering aimlessly among bottles of chardonnay and pinot noir at the liquor store,” ask the editors of the Oak and Vine wine shop in Calgary, Alberta, “wondering what to buy? Instead of organizing wines by region, Oak & Vine organizes our hand-picked wine selection by flavour and uses a colour-coded system to categorize bold, juicy, smooth, sweet, bubbles, mellow and crisp wines. Categorizing wine by flavour helps everyone from the newbie wine drinker, to the seasoned oenophile, take home a wine in their flavour wheelhouse.”

It’s a totally unique and innovative way to help people connect with the wines that we love.

And we couldn’t be more proud to be part of their amazing program.

Thank you Oak and Vine for your support of Lini wines! And THANK YOU for changing the way we understand wine! Your shop is super cool!