"A good drinker of Lambrusco is not only a proud, warm and generous man, but he is above all free. Therefore what is it, if it isn't Lambrusco that gives the Parmesan people that bright, sincere and dominant air; that sparkle in their eyes, that loud voice and tough expression? It is the wine of freedom and of the free man."

Curzio Malaparte, Lambrusco and Freedom

There is an English book about Italian wine called 'Life After Lambrusco.' I am more interested in life while drinking Lambrusco, because good Lambrusco is a wonderful thing; dry, grapey, aromatic, and it foams purple when you pour it into the glass. You haven't lived until you've seen purple foam in your glass, particularly if you are about to eat some pizza, a sandwich, or pasta with Ragu' Bolognese. I have eaten Ragu' Bolognese with this wine in the company of Signor Buffagni, who makes it, and it is one of the great food and wine combinations in Italy. The LA Times did a tasting to find out which Italian wine went best with cured meats, and this wine was their favorite.

Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro

Lambrusco is the grape variety, Lambrusco grasparossa is the particular type of Lambrusco, and Castelvetro is where it's from (near Modena). The grapes are estate grown and fermented into a dry red base wine; three or four times a year batches of the base wine are re-fermented in pressurised tanks to add sparkle. The wine is bottled in a champagne bottle with a champagne cork. I should emphasize that this wine bears no resemblance to the mass-produced Lambrusco that was popular here some years ago, and

if you haven't had a good example of this wine you should try it. I drink it, and some great restaurants in this area serve it. It is a wine to be drunk, not talked about.

Tasting notes: attractive purplish red with vigorous purple foam when poured; aroma of plums and black fruit; medium weight on the palate, dry and plummy, with a faint bitterness at the finish that makes it an excellent match for certain foods.

"a gift from God, dry, lively, bold and daring and great for flushing excess fat and condiments from the system." Paolo Monelli