Lambrusco, the Love-It-or-Hate-It Red, Is the Sparkling Wine of the Summer

Wine is the easiest way to please a dinner party, but it can be easy to fatigue on the standard red vs white options. Enter Lambrusco, the fruity sparkling red wine from Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region. 

While Lambruscos come in a wide range that can include peachy-hued rosés to dark-pink rosatos, the category is best known for its rich, plush reds. It also makes for a great go-to dinner party wine for a few reasons: it pairs well with everything from cheeseburgers to a spicy tuna roll, it’s lower in alcohol compared to other reds making it great for sipping all evening long, and they are a total bargain.

Lambrusco is also one of the best wines to drink in the summer, particularly because pairing wine with summer foods can often be a challenge.. A racy, high-acid white wine like Vinho Verde may be the best option to drink poolside on a hot day, for example, but it’s definitely not an ideal pairing for sausages and hamburgers off the grill. Meanwhile, a full-bodied red makes perfect sense for classer summertime food, but heavier reds generally aren’t the least bit refreshing. 

With  Lambrusco, you get the best of both worlds. It’s best served with a chill, and is undeniably quenching and refreshing. To top things off, its rich fruit notes are still able to stand up to meaty summertime dishes. 

Here are seven of the best Lambruscos to buy right now. 

Medici Ermete Quercioli Secco ($15)

There’s a lot more love about this rich, blackberry-laden wine from Medici Ermete, an organic winery that’s now in its fifth generation of family ownership. Quercioli Secco’s jammy fruit is offset by just enough tannins, making it a perfect pairing for grilled sausages. At this price, do yourself a favor and buy two bottles. 

Paltrinieri “Solco” ($20)

Dark berries and rich tannins define this brooding Lambrusco made in the heart of Sorbara DOC located in the center of Emilia-Romagna. Paltrinieri’s varietal “Solco” bottling is made from Salamino grapes which are known for their sweeter, more fruit-forward quality. This wine begs to be paired with barbecue ribs, smoked chicken wings, and pulled pork. 

Cleto Chiarli “Lambrusco del Fondatore” Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC ($21)

With a bouquet of strawberries and sweet roses, this zippy sparkler from an iconic Modena-based winery is made with the same methods used by the winery’s founder, Cleto Chiarli, in the mid-1800s. A second fermentation in the bottle (known as the ancestral method) yields petit, fizzy bubbles, and sometimes a bit of sediment. To get the bottle open, use a corkscrew as you would a still wine. 

Lini 910 Riserva ($22)

The Lini family has always been committed to producing the highest quality wine for well over 100 years. Their Lambrusco Riserva, which much like a dry red wine has elegant herbal aromas and wild berries, is a testament to the family’s innovative nature. Here, the best grapes from estate vineyards (hence Riserva) are fermented slowly with naturally-occurring yeasts. 

Venturini Baldini Marchese Manodori ($23)

With vineyards planted in the foothills of the Apennine near Parma, Venturini has been cultivating organically grown grapes since 1976. A blend of four grapes go into their Marchese Manodori bottling that’s marked by warm, berry-bramble aromas with just enough structure to harness its jammy and spiced flavors. 

Fiorini Lambrusco Sorbara Rosé 'Corte degli Attimi' ($24)

The cranberry-hued Lambrusco is as delicious as it is eye-catching in its clear bottle. Made from 100% Sorbara, the lightest of the Lambrusco grapes, this wine gets its lighter pink hue from a short-maceration on the skins before fermentation. This bone-dry wine has fairy-like florality, cherry-berry flavors, and gentle bubbles — a go-to pairing for summer salads. 

Terrevive Bergianti Stiolo Rosso ($30)

Gianluca Bergianti has grown grapes and made wine biodynamically since founding Terrevive just outside of Modena in 2008. His wines are wild, racy, and intense with vibrant acidity and layered fruit flavors. His Stiolo Rosso frizzante tastes of black currants and herbs with a quenching, savory biscuit-like quality.